What one does is the result of what one is.
An accomplished athlete, innovative teacher, creative dad and proud resident of Union County, Rich Rausch dons a bow tie on most days in his high school classroom.
The symbol of a vanished generation, his bow tie is his way of showing his philosophy of life – “ I am who I am. I will do the best I am able. And I am not too worried about what you think of me.”
For as long as I’ve known him – about 16 years – Rich has strived to be a man of honesty, integrity, hard work and appreciation. He truly loves the ambiance in his hometown of Marysville and the surrounding county. Throughout his teens, twenties and now, thirties, he has uplifted so many hearts and souls in sports, outdoor interests and activities, summer paint jobs and the classroom.
He deserves the credit for brightening the Landmark Building on East Fourth Street, a brick warehouse structure which once housed The Marysville Cabinet Company. He repainted with bright white the sign “Marysville Cabinet Company” on the brick front of the building.
“To its devotees the bow tie suggests iconoclasm of an Old World sort, a fusty adherence to a contrarian point of view. The bow tie hints at intellectualism, real or feigned, and sometimes suggests technical acumen, perhaps because it is so hard to tie. Bow ties are worn by magicians, country doctors, lawyers and professors and by people hoping to look like the above. But perhaps most of all, wearing a bow tie is a way of broadcasting an aggressive lack of concern for what other people think.”
The bow tie is a symbol of a lost generation. But for Rich Rausch, it’s a symbol of his found, upright character.
