Suddenly, I am a senior citizen.  I have my pensions and retirement plan.  I have thought about medical insurance.  While I feel secure about ours kids,  I am a senior citizen.  My entire personal journey has been about education, work and family.  Finally, its mostly about me and my wife.  I’m still learning. Learning what i want.  I still work, but just to help out.  Our kids are great.  They are responsible for themselves.  Now its all about my wife and me.

Beginning My Personal Journey

Because my life has been education and work, this is the best way to describe my personal journey.

My public school years were in Mt. Lebanon, PA.  Like a typical kid, I was out of the house from dawn till dark.  I had a ’50s family with two parents and  2 older siblings.  My average high school career was full of friends and fun.  Faith was important in my life.  As a result, at 12, I decided to go into the ministry.

Education and More Education

It was understood that I would go to college.  I had a short but distinquished  stay at Allegheny College in Meadeville majoring in fraternity life punctuated by some attendance at class.  My academic course was set when I took a senior course in Biblical Studies by mistake. I loved the class and want more.

With a little help from family and board members, I managed to attend Gordon  College in Wenham, MA.  On probation for the first few terms, I managed to settle down and lay a foundation for my life.  I married young.  We lived in a tiny mobile home on school property.  I spent my days studying and working. with a little hunting and fishing on the side.  My faith deepened as I sensed that my life was more than a series of random decisions and coincidences.

Continuing to focus on ministry, I attended Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, MA sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh. Everything was planned until I was asked to spend another year in school at an Episcopal Seminary as I completed my studies at Goron-Conwell.  A marginal student at best, I decided to look for a job.

In Canada

Because God’s plan was working in my life, the Bishop of Massachusetts received a form letter from a Canadian Bishop about seminary graduates interested in moving to the northern Ontario.  Since he knew my love of hunting and fishing, he called me about the letter. As a result, with a few ecclesiastical maneuverings, I was ordained in the Diocese of Massachusetts for the Bishop of Pittsburgh.  My personal journey  led me a job in the Diocese of Moosonee for 1 year.  Yet, after it was almost 30 years before I left the north.

After living and working with the Cree people of northern Ontario and Quebec, I moved with my wife and 3 boys to the small Ontario town of Matheson to help administer the diocese.

After a number of years, serving in the forests of northern Ontario and Quebec, for more contact with the south and a better education for my sons, we moved to the beautiful town of Parry Sound Ontario in the Diocese of Algoma.   A deep faith and vibrant family life was not enough to prevent problems.

Consequently, I moved back to the United States and pursued work in California where my focus shifted from ministry in the church to working with developmentally disabled individuals.

In California

After working for a year in a day program for adults, I became a social worker with the San Andreas Regional Center, a state contractor that provided all services for developmentally disabled people in central California.  In California, I met my new wife and added 3 more kids to my family.  I spent 16 years in the regional center system eventually becoming a District Manager.

Getting to know Special Kids Crusade by providing funding for their unique behavior intervention helping developmentally disabled children, I became the CEO.  I retired, from that position, after 4 years of watching remarkable progress in dozens of wonderful children supported by amazing staff.

Once retired, I wanted to learn on my own terms.  My personal journey led me to Wealthy Affiliate University.  First of all, I have had the chance to create several websites, including this one.  This is something completely new to me.  In addition, I have been able to create an internet fishing equipment store.  As well, I haver put together  a site on Sjogren’s Syndrome.  Finally, in retirement, I can enjoy family and friends. I can learn in any area I choose and I can keep on fishin’!

Take a moment to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.  What has your life story been built around?