Wednesday, August 20, 1986
City/Area
University Daily Kansan
3
Local man is study in faith, hard work
By Rachelle Worrall
Staff writer
He has been a familiar sight around Lawrence for years, but many who look at the solitary figure limping down the street never really see him.
Those who know him, usually know him just as "Wendell," or "the short, orange-haired man with the limp, who works at the back door of some of the bars."
What they don't see is the emotions churning within Wendell Arnold. He does not want to be different, he yearsns to be liked and accepted.
A car honks as it pulls up to the corner. Arnold, standing in front of Bullwinkle's Pub, 1344 Tennessee St., looks toward the car and is greeted by a smiling blonde. He beams and, as he waves to the girl, fine lines deepen around his sparkling eyes.
Arnold broke his leg playing football at age 13. Surgery on the leg didn't return it to normal.
"I found myself not being able to walk. It's easy to take everything for granted," he said.
He was not only physically different than other children because of his leg, he said, but he was more advanced intellectually than other children.
"As a child, you just notice. You just know you already know what is being taught. You become bored," he said. "You can find yourself sometimes knowing more than a teacher. It does make a communication gap."
After graduating from Ottawa High School, Arnold didn't attend college. But he still enjoys studying. He loves math, science and philosophy.
Arnold has lived in Lawrence for about 20 years. He has lived in the storage room of the East Lawrence Community Grocery, 1200 New York St. He was forced to move from the Eldridge House on July 1 because the building is being renovated. He
doesn't drive or have a phone. He said he doesn't need to.
He won't reveal his age. He said he doesn't like to feel a distance between the college students with whom he spends so much of his time.
His home and family were in Ottawa, but now only two deserted houses are there for him to visit. Arnold has two brothers and two sisters, but when asked about them, he grows quiet.
He got the houses after his parents died several years ago. He hopes to restore them.
Doug Compton, who has employed Arnold for five years, said that he told Arnold he should sell the houses because they weren't worth restoring. But Arnold disagrees.
"I didn't want their homes to go down the drain," Arnold said. "I want to fix them up just partly out of respect to my parents."
Compton owns The Mad Hatter, 700 New Hampshire and Bullwinkle's and was the former owner of Cogburns, 737 New Hampshire St. Arnold prepared the bars for opening, and sometimes works at their back doors.
"He has a key to everything I own," Compton said. "He's an excellent worker. If he wasn't good help, he wouldn't be around. He's got a job with me as long as he wants it.
Although he is popular with students, Arnold said, he has to work at developing himself socially.
"I think he pretty much gets along with everyone. They (the students) all think he's the greatest thing that's ever happened."
"I never developed socially very well, but I've always liked people. I don't want to be so much different as I am so much a part." Arnold said.
"The best thing (about being in Lawrence) was that I got a chance to develop socially. I feel a lot more at ease than I used to. I feel a lot more relaxed.
"Some people think I'm too friendly. I told one person, 'I can't buy that.' I wouldn't go into Kansas City and try to get to know everybody in the bad section of town."
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Compton said he didn't know much about Arnold's schooling, but that Arnold was well-read and enlightened in many subjects.
Glenn Price, assistant professor of theater and media arts, said he had known Arnold for about 10 years.
"He's pretty damn smart," Compton said.
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"I detected very early a very fine mind," Price said. "I came to enjoy his company, his personality, and his broad knowledge of things. I've enjoyed talking to him about philosophical issues.
"He would be a beautiful student
He would be a professor's dream."
A philosophical question Arnold says he is concerned with is "What is beauty?"
"I have studied the question of beauty quite a bit. It's something that has intrigued philosophers throughout the ages. In the near future, I will study philosophy and science a lot." he said
Arnold pulled out a paper napkin that was tucked into his wallet. On it was written philosophical questions he wanted to try to eventually answer.
"Once an idea is gone, it may not come back." Arnold said.
Compton said that although Arnold was popular among students, he was bothered by his physical appearance.
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"He resents it because he thinks he's a very ugly person. He thinks that tall people have the best lives in the world," Compton said.
"He's well-like by everybody that knows him," Olds said. "He's the type of person that you can't help but like."
Traci Olds, Overland Park senior, said she had heard that one time in a bar, tears welled in Arnold's eyes before he said he wanted to be like the beautiful people.
Arnold sometimes spends his free time baking pies. He has been approached by several students about going into the baking business. But, he said, he doesn't want to work 60-hour weeks.
Arnold said that he became curious about baking when he was 5-years-old. His grandmother told him then that if he was old enough to be curious about it, he was old enough to learn.
Compton said he had considered starting a bakery with Arnold. If he had the extra space, he said, he would let Arnold use it free of charge.
Price said, "He's a good pie-maker. Next to my wife, he bakes the best pies in town."
But Arnold said he wouldn't want to spend the time needed for professional baking.
"I could become a chef," Arnold said. "But if I were to make a career in cooking, I'd have to figure on 10 hours a day."
"I'm a perfectionist. I can't help but be critical of myself when I'm baking. I always ask myself, 'Is it good enough?' "
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