Special Post: The First Mayor of Main Street
Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 01:56PM 
Just minutes ago my last remaining grandparent, my grandfather on my father's side, passed away at 89 years of age.
I'm not telling you this to depress you or to invoke well wishes or sympathetic remarks.
The reason I'm telling you this very personal bit of information is that I want to celebrate my grandfather by reviewing the lessons that can be learn from his life.
Now, you will benefit as I have from his teachings and this I believe, he would appreciate.
His name was Donald Romeo Dudley, he had nine siblings, and he was born in Massachusetts in 1920.
He believed in service and was active in his church and Catholic faith and he was also a Navy Reservist for over 20 years.
Walt Disney World employed him for over 20 years where he never failed to bring a smile to my face, his coworkers, and to the guests of the theme parks where he worked.
So strong was my grandfather's belief in the Disney mission that he was named, "The First Mayor of Main Street."
You could capture the crux of my grandfather's life in three words: caring, relationships, and celebration.
There was never a reason, event, or holiday too small for my grandfather to celebrate...he loved wine and champagne and absolutely loved to eat.
He knew that it is important to be conscious of the little things and to enjoy how you spend your time as much as possible.
He loved people and knew that you could build strong, lasting relationships with others simply by being authentic and by genuinely caring about them.
There was no one he couldn't create a friendship with...he was a master at finding common ground.
He would strike up a conversation with anyone and rarely did his subject not have a smile on their face within seconds of meeting him.
Waiters and waitresses at his favorite restaurants all got Mickey stickers and they remembered him for it, then treated him well on subsequent visits.
My fondest memories of my grandfather are of playing the board game Battle Ship, spending time with him at Disney, and taking him to SubWay for lunch every Friday up until very recently.
What I remember most, however, was the laughter...we were always laughing, smiling, and having fun.
That encapsulates what Donald Romeo Dudley's life was about.
He was a caring person that believed in service and building long-lasting bonds with people through being genuine and authentic.
Simple, yet a powerful formula for successful living.
Is it possible to compress the entirety of what my grandfather's life was about in 500 words? Certainly not.
However, I hope that this glimpse has perhaps awakened something in you that you've either been neglecting, ignoring or suppressing for far too long.
Maybe you work so much and so hard to get more that you've forgotten how to celebrate the little successes or take time to just enjoy what you already have.
How long has it been since you invested some serious time and energy into ensuring your relationships with the people closest to you are rock-solid?
In our money, achievement, and ascension driven society, it's easy to lose sight of that which matters most.
But you can achieve balance and the best of both worlds if you are willing to work at it...my grandfather proved this splendidly.
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Reader Comments (1)
Mr. Donald Romeo Dudley has taught me a lot throughout the many years I was so privileged to be a part of his life. His lessons were from an almost forgotten past. Simple and to the point. Be kind, listen and bring joy.
He inspired you to have courage and to look at every possible challenge in life as a unique opportunity to make yourself shine and to help bring out the best in people. He valued family life and seemed to make that his passion.
Thank you Mr. Dudley for your grace, wisdom, and laughter.
Sincerely,
Randel Russo.