Name: Bruce Urschel
Family: Wife Bobbi Jo, sons Dawson (11) and Conner (9)
Profession: Business Owner
Age:45
Years in Grenfell: 45
What is a quality in your spouse that you really appreciate?
Bobbi is a real "doer". She doesn't ever procrastinate. When she says she's going to do something, she does it. If she has a list of things to do in Regina, say there's four or five things to do, she does them all. Whatever it takes, she'll do them all. She's not going to do two and run out of time. She's very good at being organized. It's a really good quality, but she's got a lot of great qualities. She's really driven and focused.
What is something interesting about you that others might not know?
I maybe come across as being a very easy going, light-hearted person, good time Charlie, all those kind of things. Actually, underneath all that, I worry about a lot of things. You don't see that on the outside but I worry about family, money, health, but that doesn't really come across to other people I don't think. It's not that I'm not being genuine, but there's another side to me. I think about a lot of other things that I don't say. Deep things, or things of concern. I may come across as someone who thinks "oh, everything will just turn out", but that's not actually what I'm thinking. I'm always thinking about my family, and I want to make everything work out for us, so that's maybe something others don't know about me.
What's your favorite way to spend a free day?
There's two ways to spend a free day for me. One is with Bobbi and the boys obviously. We can go to the acreage and do things together. And however we spend that day is going to be a good day if we're together. I'll take the boys golfing in the summer, or we'll go to a car show. Or I'll go to my garage, or a place I can feel relaxed. The boys always make me feel relaxed. Although their lives are getting more complicated and their thoughts are getting more complicated, they still keep things pretty simple - and to an adult, who has adult things to think about and deal with, spending a day with them is relaxing. We played monopoly the other day, me and the boys and mom, and it was hilarious. A super fun thing to do for the afternoon to get them off their ipads, and just play board games. They have really great personalities, so they can really lighten up a day pretty quick. They're really hilarious.
Are you a spontaneous person or a planner?
I'd like to be more spontaneous because it's exciting and fun, but it's not always practical and not very responsible sometimes. When I didn't have as much responsibility, then I was a little more spontaneous, planning trips on a whim or wake up in the morning not having as much of a plan for the day. I can deal with spontaneity maybe a little more than Bobbi, because she's more of a planner. So maybe I am more spontaneous than a planner.
What are you looking forward to in the next ten years?
In ten years, I'll be 55. Dawson will be 21 and Conner will be 19, so that's a lot to look forward to. Whatever sports they are in through that time frame, whatever direction they decide to take in their lives, it's going to be really interesting. They'll be driving, they will have graduated. So there's a lot to look forward to. Then hopefully have a good business going strong that I'm happy to run. The next ten years is going to be really interesting, to see where things will be.
How would your friends describe you?
I don't know... I've never been the kind of person to really think about what other people think of me. I kind of am, but I don't worry about what other people think of me at the same time. I hope they think of me as a good family man, a good parent. I'd be interested to know what people think, but I might be afraid to know. I'm afraid if they say some of the truths, it might bother me.
What is your favorite time of year?
Hmmm... it used to be fall. I liked fall because as a grain farmer, you knew the end was coming and you would get done harvest and have time to unwind. But now fall reminds me of winter, and I don't like winter at all. It's still a really beautiful time of year, and the temperatures are really nice in fall. But now my favorite is summer. Summer is awesome. There's so much for the kids to do. We used to go out to B.C. with the boys, out to Radium Hot Springs. But summers were sometimes hard to get away when we had the business. We would try to get away at some point though. Now with Bobbi managing the store, it's still hard to get away, plus we have some animals at the farm. So we don't go far, but we'll go for the weekend to Kenosee, or a couple weekends at the lake, or in town at the campground. And the boys like that. Summers feel so short, but I love the summer months.
If you could have a different career, what would it be?
Probably two different things. There's two directions I could have maybe taken, and they're completely different from one another. One would be - but the studying would have been absolutely horrific, but I would have liked to have been a psychologist. I love people's brains. How people think and tick. I think I'm pretty good at figuring people out quickly. I don't need a lot of time to kind of understand what path they're taking or what they're going through. I really like people and trying to understand them and what they're going through. If it wouldn't be for the years of studying, I think I have qualities that would have been good in that profession. It's not just about having great grades. You have to be able to understand people and communicate with them. When you're raised in a good family, and have that good base, I think it grounds you really well and you can help people. The other thing would be something automotive related. I've always liked racing. It would have been a tough career, but part of me wonders what it would have been like to be on part of a pit crew or race team of some sort. Travel around the world and do that. But on the other hand, if I'd done that, I wouldn't have my kids and Bobbi, or live in Grenfell, which I appreciate. And everything works out for a reason - I really believe that. I kind of have the qualities that would have worked for a job like that, being able to travel, having that high paced life, and I would have been ok with it. It suits my personality. But on the other hand, it's all good the way things are. Definitely no regrets.
What is something you do to show kindness?
In the world that we live in, where it can be easier to criticize, I'm still pretty complimentary. I like to give people compliments, and that can be hard to come by these days. I feel comfortable doing that. If someone is doing a good job on something, or they look good, or they did something for someone else, I'll say "hey, that was a nice gesture" I find it easy to do that. And I'll do things that I'll never tell people about. I'll do gestures for people that are in need, food or financially, that I don't say anything about. At the store, I was able to help people out here and there. But usually the best things you do are the things you keep secret.
If you could bring any fictional character to life, who would it be?
This is such a good question. I have to think about it....I'm going to say Iron Man. That's the first one I thought of. I say that because, look at where he lives - his man cave, his cars, his suit. Maybe I could try one of his suits on. Who wouldn't want to do that? That would be incredible to have the opportunity to do stuff like that. But think of what it would be like if Iron Man was real, what he could do for the world. Think of what he could do for the crime rate. He flies, he has all sorts of weapons, he's got the coolest stuff. Think of all the money he could save our military, how many people he could save. How much more fear there might be for doing wrong, knowing that he was there fighting crime. He's cool, cause he's kind of a lose cannon a bit. But on the other hand, he is always trying to do what's right, and he could have such a great impact on the world.