When I think back to those years during the 60's I had a very good life. Of course at the time I was probably self-centered and didn't realize how wonderful it was. Like most young people I was in a hurry to grow up. And I remember my father always telling me not to hurry that it would happen soon enough. It did!

At the moment I can think of a few adolescent experiences, such as going to a private boys school and being very competitive with others. I remember playing baseball - Little League and Teen League. Frankly, I was a very good baseball player - pitching and playing 3rd base when I think of it now. The field where I played has long ago been commercialized, but I remember walking to the field a few times a week through fields of dirt and weeds. It always seemed so hot to me that by the time I got there I was tired. By today's standards the field was rudimentary. Just some fences and a dirt infield. One of the great things I recall was that if you hit a home run, you automatically won a banana split ice cream at a local ice cream store. I remember winning a few of those and perhaps enjoying it more because it was FREE! Today that ice cream store is also gone. Now it's a real estate office that I drive by periodically.

I was a Boy Scout for a short period of time, but large group activities did not make me comfortable. I was a bit of a loner and didn't participate well in such activities I guess. I always enjoyed the outdoor adventures such as fishing and hiking. I recall now going fishing when I was young with my father in New Jersey ponds. It always seemed like an adventure then and I wanted desperately to catch big fish. Nevertheless, we often just caught sunfish, which were relatively easy to catch. At that time my father was interested in fishing and it has become a life long pleasure for me to go fishing, which when I think of it now,  stems back to those early experiences when I was ten or so.