He’s Not Afraid to Offer a Personal Greeting in an Impersonal World

His job description says he’s supposed to oversee the parking lot behind American Savings Bank on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica and make sure people don’t park in the red zone. But for Richard Thurston it means much more.

“In order to make it interesting, I acknowledge people’s presence and it gives me a chance to be of service,” he says. What he doesn’t say is that he dispenses love to strangers.

In these days of voice mail, computer-generated form letters, automated tellers and answering machines, Thurston provides the personal touch--even if it’s for the few seconds it takes to get from car to bank entrance. In his words, it’s a cushion between customers and those who service them on the inside.

It’s impossible to not be affected by a greeting like, “It’s a beautiful day today and you’re beautiful too.” He extends his rough paw of a hand and makes contact. It’s not unusual to see people sit down next to him and just chat--even people in a hurry.

Thurston didn’t get his training from a public relations firm or a managerial seminar on making the customer feel welcome. He’s a natural.

Born in Miami in 1926, he went on the road at 13 with the Last Gospel Band, playing drums and trombone. “My father died before I was born, and I never saw my mother--she died the year she was supposed to come and get me at my uncle’s house when I was 7 years old,” he said. “So when this offer came about playing with this band and the reverend promised I would be taken care of, well, off I went. But he turned out to be a thief and the band broke up and we went back to Miami.”

The family moved to Detroit when Thurston was 16. “They put me in ninth grade with younger kids, so I left school and went on the road again.”

But Thurston always wanted an education, and he eventually found a way to get it by enlisting in the Army. He was shipped out to Guam shortly after World War II and played in the Army band. “I learned how to play jazz in the Army--I was also part of the first steps taken to integrate the Army. The biggest problem was learning how to communicate with one another. I found out there were more similarities than differences,” he said.

Thurston spent nine years in the Army, taking college classes wherever he was stationed, and eventually ended up at A & I State College in Nashville, Tenn., after leaving the service.

“It was marvelous. I was studying black history--and I still never missed a week without playing. But in those days I had this idea that I wanted to be a minister, except that I didn’t want to play the politics of the church. . . . It’s not what you preach that matters, it’s what you teach and how you live. It’s like politicians, you know, they make laws but they don’t obey them,” he said.

Music and romance brought him to Los Angeles in the ‘60s, and today Thurston is retired from being a musician.

How does he explain the Rodney G. King verdict and what happened afterward?

“First of all, I never thought I’d live to be 66 after seeing what I saw in my life. But I don’t allow anyone or any incident to rob me of joy. I put my energy to contributing to people’s lives just by being decent to them. What amazes me is how little we know about ourselves, how ‘secure’ we can be in a world of turmoil.

“For me,” he said, “love is security. The opposite of love is living in fear--and I am not afraid.”

Bulletin Board

Afternoon Dance--The Westchester Senior Center will have its monthly dance; 8740 Lincoln Blvd., Los Angeles; 1 p.m. Thursday; information: (310) 649-3317 ($1).

Mature Driver--Santa Monica College will sponsor a mature driver improvement course for licensed drivers 55+; Santa Monica College, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; information: (310) 452-9214 ($21).

Old Age--The Alzheimer’s Assn. will present “Celebrating Old Age: An Event for Japanese-American Families”; Didi Hirsh Mental Health Center, 4760 Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles; 1 p.m. today; information: (310) 390-6612 (free).

Volunteers Needed--The Pico-Robertson Senior Center is seeking telephone reassurance volunteers to call homebound elderly clients; the center is also seeking senior male volunteers to participate in a socialization group with mentally disabled young adults. For information, call (310) 271-3306.