Name:  Ronnie Joe Wroten

Age: 70

Home: Sacramento, CA (although his heart and soul are in New Orleans)

We met “Uncle Ronnie” at Mario’s Marina in Rio Dulce, Guatemala, while he was visiting his niece, Theresa. 

Work:  Owns a small factory that makes every kind of barstool possible.  He has three stores in Northern California that constitute a true niche among the conglomerate furniture retailers.

What makes him interesting?:  Heeding the soulful rhythm of his native New Orleans, Ronnie takes drum lessons with a bunch of 7 and 8 year-olds.  Most of the mothers who bring the kids to class think he’s somebody’s grandfather.  He’s impressed that the children are always glad to be there and eager to show the teacher what they’ve learned.

Important event in his life:  In 2004, Ronnie was getting ready to go out for the evening but didn’t feel very well.  Before the night was over, he found himself in the hospital diagnosed with a heart attack.  He was bedridden for several days, only able to observe the nurses coming into his room and writing his daily vital signs and medications on a blackboard hanging on the wall.  When they finally told him he was going to get out of bed, he called Theresa and asked her to bring some Mardi Gras beads to the hospital.  He got up, erased the blackboard and wrote “Parade Today.”  At the appointed time when the nurses came to get him out of bed, he surprised them with the beads and led them all in a Mardi Gras parade down the hall.

He says, “I figured if I could still parade after having a heart attack, the rest of life would come along just fine.”

Philosophy of Life:  “See a parade everyday, even when no one else does.”

On Cruisers:  “One thing sailors possess – they all want to see what’s around the bend.  They are not afraid to let go and see.”