“Braidwood Guy: Nothing Planned, But Here I am.”
My early goal was to be a truckdriver. Until I was 16 years old, this was my vision. Driving a big rig diesel across the country, passing the night along route 66, with red lights decorating my trailer, air horns blasting slower vehicles, downshifting, and then braking at the stop sign. Living in a small town that was dissected by route 66, I was mesmerized by the P.I.E. trucks as they came to a stop at Main Street.
Now I live in Colorado over 900 miles west of my boyhood town of Braidwood, Illinois. How did this happen? Was it previously planned? No. Rather, the journey was built on successive steps, one step leading to the next without much forethought, each step dependent on external circumstances that were outside my control. Each step was considered, sometimes quickly, sometimes over time. Some merely popped up and I had to decide based on little information or any thoughts of a lifetime vision.
What were those steps from Braidwood beginning in 1940? What were my ages at each step?
- 8: the decision was made that I would attend St. Rose Grade School in Wilmington.
- 14: I would be going to Joliet Catholic High School. Baseball team at age 16.
- 16: Played summer baseball in Joliet for Russ Nielsen.
- 18: Baseball scholarship to Lewis College
- 19: On the basketball team at Lewis
- 21: Married, drafted by NBA, teacher at Roncalli HS in Aurora.
Residence in Joliet area (1962-1971)
- 27: Teacher at Providence HS, part time baseball coach at Lewis.
- 28: Coach/Faculty in Lewis athletic department
- 31: Coach Joliet Jr. College
Residence in Wilmington (1971-1986)
- 32: Dean and VP at Lewis
- 38: Student Affairs and Adult Education at College of St. Francis
- 45: Regis College/University in Denver, Colorado.
Residence in Arvada, Colorado (1986-present)
- 55: Part time at Lewis
- 77: Volunteered with AGMUS in Florida
Each step was contingent on human relationships, the previous step, the current outside environment, and luck. If I were to miss or stop at any of these steps, my path and end point would have been much different.
Braidwood Beginnings 