Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
That's Ben Wight on duty with the U. S. Air Force in Kuwait, 2019.
Who is Ben Wight?
"I'm a father, a husband, a history teacher, an Army and Air Force National Guardsman," Wight said as he sat for an interview in the offices of The News.
Wight shared more about his life.
Q: What is your hometown?
A: Acton, Mass.
Q: Do you miss anything in particular from there?
A: I would like to say good seafood. Red Lobster doesn't cut it.
Q: What brought you to Clovis?
A: My wife is the director of the Golden Library at Eastern New Mexico University.
Being in New Mexico is very, very special to us.
Q: What do you like about the area?
A: The people.
The people are very warm and kind.
When we moved here, about 30 people from my wife's work and some neighbors showed up and got our stuff off the moving van.
I also like the opportunities this area has.
If we want to escape we can go to the mountains, to the lake, to the big cities like Albuquerque, Lubbock or Amarillo.
Q: What do you love about your job as a history teacher at Clovis High School?
A: The adventures of teaching.
You never know what you're going to get every single day.
I've had job offers in different fields that would pay better, but I love teaching.
I love watching students grow, becoming more competent.
Q: If there was one thing you could change about Clovis, what would it be?
A: We need a lot more opportunities for our youth.
We have incredible, talented young men and women in our community and we're not taking advantage of that.
We need to be listening to what they are saying.
Q: If you could be a character in a book who would it be?
A: I probably would be Calvin in "Calvin and Hobbes," because I have a vivid imagination just like Calvin.
Q: How would your friends describe you in one word?
A: It would be two words: Golden retriever.
It's like I'm always easily distracted, like a golden retriever.
Q: If you could go anywhere for a day, where would it be?
A: I would go to Taiwan, no particular reason.
I've never been there before.
Q: What makes you laugh the hardest?
A: My family.
My kids and my wife make me laugh the hardest.
Slapstick and smart comedy make me laugh, too. Robin Williams and Jim Carrey slapstick.
Q: Ben Wight's fantasy dinner party: Who's there?
A: Nelson Mandela, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Obamas, Franklin Roosevelt and Benjamin Franklin.
That would be a cool dinner.
Q: What's the best bit of advice you can give to someone?
A: Always be true to yourself.
And never stop trying, never give up.
And stop making excuses for yourself.
