Being born and raised in the heart of Ohio by an avid outdoorsman, there is a certain reverence that is held for Southern Ohio. It was, for the most part, unspoiled and as wild and natural a spot as we could find within a few hour drive from the capital city of Columbus. In my father’s eyes, John Denver was just a little too far south when he wrote the song Take Me Home Country…
I used to be such a worrywart. Oh my gosh… was I ever! Anything… I mean anything and I would start being worried. I would use the excuse that I was just concerned but… I was worried. I would often mention the thing that I was worried about. I would often think about it. I also had this particularly annoying habit of picking my nails or skin. Until I knew what was going to happen…
My father was born just a few months after his father was tragically killed in an accident involving a train. In the mid-1920s there were very few options for a single mother of two young boys. After a few difficult years trying to raise the boys on her own, his mother left both boys to be raised by her mother and father. The boys blended in with their younger aunts and uncles who were still…