1966 Pacific High School

I started at Pacific High School, a progressive school in California, in 1966, the year Russ was getting ready to leave. At Pacific, you left when you were done; there was no obligation to stay for 4 years. I stayed for 3.

Rusty (he was called either that or Russ; the Russell period would be in the future) was a wanderer then. He was seen around the campus less than most people. He was off hiking and hitch hiking most of the time...down to the beach, up to the mountains...usually with his guitar.

It was nice when he was around. He was one of those people who would be warm and receptive to your possibilities even though he was a few years older than you and, in high school, that was a pretty cool thing. He was wonderfully soft spoken; he sang that way too and I liked listening to him play his guitar and sing folk songs.

We lost touch for a long, long time. We met again in the late 90s. I thought I was quite different: fatter, more confident, more articulate. But Rusty was very much the same: soft spoken, warm, interesting and interested. I could tell he had become a very happy person. I also had the feeling that he'd left me far behind.

Dean Farwood