You know a lot of different things can happen to a person in just one decade --- especially when young. During this period I was in grade school, junior high school, high school, and college. Thus the chess knight--I jumped around a lot.

The images focus on my years at Colorado College. Its not that I didn’t do interesting things earlier I just don’t remember (ha, ha). No, that is a joke. Before college I had jobs carrying a paper route every evening for three long years, guiding tourists through the Cave of the Winds, and working at an FM radio station as an announcer. For one year in the sixth grade I was even an altar boy!

In high school I discovered that I really liked American history. I was also a star debater, editor of the school newspaper, and president of our chess club. I was more of a nerd than a BMOC, but I loved high school and I still get misty-eyed these days when I hear Pomp and Circumstance.

Going to Colorado College (note Cutler Hall cupola in the upper right) was an entirely new world for me even though it was only a five minute walk from our home on San Rafael St. Meeting people from all over the United States was a quite broadening and interesting—especially the Eastern prep school boys. I joined the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, majored in history, studied to some degree, edited The Tiger, the college paper, and took other campus leadership positions. My sister Judy shown with me on the right was the family brain (always straight A’s). She was one year ahead of me in high school and college and I couldn’t compete with her high level of scholarship (despite my Dad’s urging). I compensated through heavy involvement in campus affairs and becoming the treasurer of my fraternity which enabled me to move into the chapter house my final two years. There were 198 people in my graduation class. I stood 99th—exactly in the middle!

One distraction that plummeted me below a 2.0 average my junior year was my first love, “Willie” shown on the left. I was besotted and after being “dumped” it took me over 30 years to finally heal that wound. (I think I’ve read too many romantic poets in my life and somehow equate love to suffering).

I should say that living in Colorado Springs was a delight. Note the image of the old Antlers Hotel with Pikes Peak in the background. It was a glorious setting for a young growing teenager. It was a lovely little town of about 35,000 in those days. We walked and bicycled everywhere (I didn’t get a car until I was in the Army.) It was a very safe place with incredible blue skies, warm summers and fairly mild winters. Mostly it was a very popular tourist destination, and it began to change when the Air Force Academy moved there in 1958.

So tomorrow the first decade of 1937 to 1947. Most of you probably didn’t even exist during that period. I’ll tell you all about the Great Depression and The War tomorrow.

Of course the big Happy Birthday Full Monty is still on schedule for May 26th.