vWILLCUT continued from page 11 YEARS YOUNG) can have as much fun as I do? I’m still pretty good at this. Kathy got her first reports back…” and before Roger can finish his sentence Kathy chimes in, “And they were fine!” Roger smiles and I sense pride within him as he beams at his young apprentice. But as gratifying as supervising an apprentice can be, it is not easy, for there is a lot of accountability that comes with this particular business. “A lot of responsibility lies in what we do. People are buying houses, probably the most important thing they will buy and many times it’s their first house. If they can’t get a good appraisal, a competent appraisal, or a timely appraisal then a deal may fall through, so there is a lot of responsibility.” Listening to Roger talk about the appraisal business causes me to reflect on my first home buying experience. It is very true that it is one of the most important purchases a person can make in his or her lifetime. I shudder as images of signing stacks upon stacks of papers, signing what feels like my life away, begin to appear in my mind. It is then that I change the course of our interview from serious to lighthearted. “What do you do for fun?” I ask. “I like motorcycles and have some motorcycles. I belong to a couple motorcycle groups. It’s not quite as easy as it used to be, so I do have a couple of motorcycles with three wheels to make it easier.” One motorcycle group Roger belongs to is called the Parker Gang vCYCLING out of Parker Colorado. Roger describes this group as a “wild and wooly bunch”. An interesting fact about the Parker Gang is that Roger, at 80 years of age, is not the oldest member of the gang. The Marlon Brando movie “The Wild One” comes to mind when I think of Roger and his motorcycle gang and I smile. The other group of biker enthusiasts that Roger is a part of goes by the name of Buell Brothers Racing and members of that group have gone across the Salt Flats at over 200 miles an hour. Roger assures me he was not one of the members to do that though I have my doubts about that! “The reason Buell Brothers Racing invites me on their annual rides is because as long as I can still show up and ride they know there is hope for them” Roger says with a laugh. Roger Willcut has been there and back. He has jumped out of airplanes far above the clouds, and dove deep into the ocean’s depths aboard submarines. He has seen the rigors of battle and aided people in times of war. He has given training and advice to folks who have gone on to become successful licensed Appraisers. And he belongs to not just one, but TWO motorcycle gangs and gives the members inspiration to keep their motors running. He is a man of many talents and it was an honor and pleasure to do this article. Thank you Roger, for all you have done. n ENTHUSIASTS continued from page 13 People aren’t paying attention. That could change more in Yankton with more bike paths and more education.” Andre cites the cycling culture in locations like Denmark as an example of what is possible. “In Copenhagen, Denmark, about 40-50 percent of their population rides a bike to work or school,” he said. “That’s phenomenal. That’s about 400,000-500,000 people that ride their bike to work or school. About 80 percent of those people that do that do it all through the year. … I don’t think it’s a coincidence — Denmark is annually within the top five of the happiest countries in the world and we’re not. We’re in the teens a lot of the time. … They’re always up there and I think a lot of that has to do with cycling in their culture.” He said that he can see that being translated to America if we’d start opening up to the culture. “The potential is there,” he said. “It’s a matter of bringing the bicycle back into our everyday culture.” n Willcockson Eye Associates, P .C. Quality Eye Care, Close To Home • Best quality medical and surgical eyecare for you and your family • State of the art cataract surgery • Expert treatment of diseases such as glaucoma, eye complications from diabetes, and macular degeneration • Extensive selection of frames, styles and lens options at The Spectacle Shop, LLC. 415 W. 3rd, Yankton The Spectacle Shop, L.L.C. Call 605-665-9638 Karen E Dickes, D.O. Board Certified Ophthalmologist Medical and Surgical Eye Care Brady W. Betten, O.D. Optometrist Medical Eye Care Gregory A Kouri, O.D. Optometrist Medical Eye Care Gregory Osmundson, M.D. Ophthalmology Ltd. Medical & Surgical Eye Care HISVOICEvMAY/JUNE 2018v15