He grew up in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont until age 10. Enrolled in first grade at age 5, always smaller, always slower. The drive up the snowy mountain dirt road in a 4-wheel drive Suburban to a 4 room schoolhouse; 1st thru 8th, 2 grades in each room. Farm kids. Ambitions? Drive the tractor instead of throwing hay bales. Milk the herd instead of mucking stalls,
The nearest town,10 miles, the closest neighbor, 2. At home,
the only boy, he spent his time alone in the woods and swamps, fishing,
frogging, building forts, snow tunnels, tree stands. Crafting stone hand axes,
bows and arrows, spears. Catching snakes, bugs, butterflies. He was happy,
insular, unchallenged. Ambitions/interests: Comic books, picking on an old
guitar.
The move to Portland, Maine was life altering in so many
ways. So much to navigate. Taking the city bus into the YMCA with tough City
kids. Getting his first library card and exploring a huge, quiet edifice filled
with books. Being picked last in any sports activity because he had no skills. Having
to brawl to establish his place in the pecking order. Competing with peers who all
seemed to have ambitions.
By age 11 he had discovered his niche. As a worker, he felt fierce
pride in being the best at picking beet greens, mowing lawns, shoveling snow.
Later working at A&W Root Beer filling mugs with sweet, brown, delicious
beverage; at Howard Johnsons scooping 28 distinctive flavors of ice cream,
washing dishes, bussing tables; grounds-keeping for several local motels. In
school and sports, he got by. In Boy Scouts and at Church, he got by. But in
the workplace, he excelled.
In college he stumbled from major to major. Forestry,
Wildlife Biology, Environmental Science; always looking for a path that would
lead him back to the woods and the swamps.
And then he met Her.
And they bought a little house and started a family.
And that is when he discovered the fire of true ambition.
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