MAIN STREET, 9-22-2011

According to the United States Census Bureau, the five most
common surnames in this country are Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones
and Brown. In China the top five Mandarin surnames (from Wikipedia)
are Li, Wang, Chang, Liu and Ch’en. Familypedia says that the top
five in Mexico are Hernández, Garcia, Martinez, González and
López.
A name like Ray Holley is short and uncomplicated, but not that
common. When I was a young’un I was often the only Raymond in the
class, and I’ll never understand why chants of “Raymond Paymond”
caused so many schoolyard battles.
Maybe there’s something about your name, something talismanic,
that bears defending. I’ve had Jims correct me if I said Jimmy, and
wives of Douglases scold me if I said Doug. Given how often my last
name is misspelled, I’ve learned to look and listen carefully and
not take it for granted.
So, it’s a bit unsettling to type your name into an Internet
search engine and find all the Ray Holleys (or is it Rays Holley?)
out there.
One Ray Holley is a well-regarded running back at Louisiana
Tech. Ray is from Orange, California and was showing up on the
Internet back in high school, when he ran well for El Modena
High.
Another Ray Holley lives in Sedona, Arizona. He still consults
in his former profession as an executive recruiter, but he took a
different path a few years ago. Ray and his wife now offer
“channeled readings” and spiritual and intuitive advice on how to
score in the stock market. He also collects guitars.
There’s a Ray Holley who’s a journalist in the Southeast,
another who’s a judge and attorney in Florida, and another who owns
Ray Holley Motors in Canada.
The latest Ray Holley sighting on the ‘net is a toddler who
appears regularly on YouTube. His family thinks he’s adorable and
films him doing all sorts of things, like practicing a high-five,
jumping around or looking at a bird.
You don’t have to play this with only your own name. I Googled
the name of Healdsburg’s mayor and found a Tom Chambers who is a
retired NBA star, another who is a professional photographer and a
third who is a Supreme Court Justice in the state of
Washington.
But, try it first with your own name. The world gets a little
smaller when you do. It’s somehow disconcerting and comforting at
the same time.
—
Main Street’s good friend Mary Barry turns 104 this Friday. Mary
lived in Healdsburg for decades and was a beloved figure to many.
She moved to Williams a few years ago to be with family, after a
100th birthday party at the Healdsburg Senior Center that featured
tributes to her warm heart, sharp mind and feisty character.
Mary’s health is in decline and she doesn’t write anymore, but
she loves receiving cards and letters from her friends. She would
enjoy hearing from you – Mary Barry, c/o Valley West Care Center,
1224 E Street, Williams, CA 95987.
—
Another Main Street pal, Holly Berkley, is putting on a workshop
at Parkpoint Health Club, on the subject of living stress-free.
Holly is an expert in Quantum Energy Psychology. I honestly don’t
know what that is, but I have a tendency to eat stress all day. I
tried a couple of things Holly suggested and they helped. The
workshop is on Tuesday, October 4 and you sign up through
Parkpoint. Main Street says check it out.
—
The Healdsburg High School Science Alliance is hosting a
documentary film on Monday, September 26 at 6:30 at the high
school. The film, “No Dinosaurs in Heaven,” explores the hijacking
of science education by religious fundamentalists. Some of these
folks are so dedicated to undermining mainstream science that they
get degrees in education and science so they can confuse students
in the classroom. The film also documents a raft trip through the
Grand Canyon as a way to debunk creationism as an alternative to
the accepted theory of evolution.
The screening of “No Dinosaurs in Heaven” will take place at the
high school in the Black Box Meeting Room / Theater, the former
woodshop. Admission is free but donations to the Healdsburg High
School Science Alliance will be accepted. Our local “real science”
advocates are brave to stand up for mainstream science and deserve
our support.
Ray Holley knows that he and the apes have a common
ancestor. He can be reached at ra*******@gm***.com.