Alex Carson
A Stranger
All parents teach their kids that it is not safe to talk to strangers. You never know what a person is going to do; therefore, we teach our kids to stay away from people they don’t know. Gina Arnold has a daughter who attends the Marina Village Middle School in El Dorado Hill, California. Her daughter’s name is Aubrey, and Gina, like other parents, has always taught her daughter not to talk to strangers. When Aubrey told her about, “Mr. Knuckles,” she immediately began to worry.
“The Cute, Little Old Man”
Each day, Aubrey would take a man who she told her mother was a “cute, little old man.” When Gina dropped Aubrey off along the street, she would go over and talk to the man. When she told Gina this, Gina knew that she had to get to the school to figure out what was going on. When ‘Mr. Knuckles’ approached school girl worried mom learns his 15-year secret.
Meeting “Mr. Knuckles.”
When Gina got to the school, she found out that Mr. Knuckles was just a nickname that the kids gave the man because he would give the children a fist bump as they walked by. The man’s real name is Wally Richardson. He is a 94-year-old veteran. He joined the U.S. Navy during World War II and was also a fighter pilot in the Korean War. He devoted most of his life to protecting his country at times when we needed it the most. After being discharged from the army after so many years, he wanted to keep helping people. After he left the war zone, he decided to serve his country on the sidewalk near that school.
Sharing Life Lessons
When Gina met Wally, she realized that he wasn’t a threat to the children. He was a gift. Aubrey wasn’t the only child who enjoyed talking to Wally. Gina realized that all of the kids loved to talk to him. He would wait for the kids every day on the sidewalk, and he would tell them stories about his life. He hoped that his life lessons would inspire the kids who spoke with to be better people. He taught them about respect and gave them very valuable advice.
The Parents
As time went on, all of the kids’ parents met Wally. They appreciate the time that he takes each morning to talk to their kids, trying to teach them to respect others.
The School Administration
It isn’t just the students’ parents who appreciate Wally. The school officials know all about him and the positive influence that he has on the students. The school’s superintendent, Cheryl Olson, says that the kids consider Wally to be their favorite teacher. She understands that it takes just one significant adult in a kid’s life to make a positive impact. She ways that Wally is that person for the kids.
The Wally Wall
The school department and the kids wanted to do something wonderful for the man, so they created the “Wally Wall.” the wall has a drawing of Wally, and there is a quote that reads, “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” There is another quote that reads, “What you do makes you what you are.” The quotes that the kids added to the wall were things that Wally says to them every day.
15 Years
When Gina went to the school to find out who this man was, she found out that this wasn’t something that Wally just started doing. She learned that he has been going to the school to see the kids every day for 15 years. She couldn’t believe that this man had dedicated so many years of his life to helping the kids at the school.
Facebook Post
When Gina got home that morning after dropping Aubrey off at school, she wanted to let everyone know what an amazing man Wally was. She created a post on Facebook and telling her friends and family and the other parents about the school about this wonderful man. Shortly after she created to post, it went viral. People all over the world were sharing the story about Wally and his selflessness.
More People Like Wally
If there were more people like Wally in this world, the world would be a better place.
YouTube Description
Parents worry about their children every second of the day. Whether the children are home or away, parents always have cause to worry. When a woman named Gina heard her daughter talk about “Mr. Knuckles,” she started to panic. She always taught her daughter, Aubrey, not to talk to strangers and when she found out that Aubrey tried to get to school early each day to talk to this man, she had to get to the bottom of things. Any parent would panic after hearing that their child is talking to a strange man every day. When Gina got to the school and met Mr. Knuckles, all of her fears subsided. Gina realized that Mr. Knuckles was actually doing something amazing for the kids. She was so touched by what this man did that she wanted to let the world know on Facebook. This selfless man didn’t just talk to Aubrey each day; he talked to all of the kids. What makes the story even more amazing was that he has been helping the kids at Aubrey’s school for over 15-years.
