Fussed into the post-war world in Salt Lake city, but soon moved to Berkeley. From there to Hawaii and then off to Tokyo. Schooling finally commenced at John Muir Elementary back in Berkeley, but we soon moved to Houston, where I continued at River Oaks Elementary.
Whoops! Then, after a ruptured liver that presaged many months of my youth that would be spent hospitalized, back to Japan, Kobe this time, where I bagged 5th and 6th grade at the Canadian Academy.
Back in the U.S., back in the U.S. of A., I did most of Jr. and Sr. High School at St. John’s.
Post high school I held many jobs, both flunky and not so, while spending a few years trying to establish a career as a drummer. Played with a lot of people in a lot of places.
Then, I found myself in the Styxian world of the graveyard shift reactor operator on the dark, noxious Houston Ship Channel, where we were alone with our temperamental reactors, the flares and the catwalk lights. And the Helpers from 4th grade. It was beautiful.
And fairly dangerous. After an accident that put me in the hospital (once again) for a bit, I decided to go to college. I saved for almost a year (it was a great paying job for a guy with no education), and headed off to 5½ years at UT in Austin.
That changed everything. While I kept playing, I had no real idea of what I might become, and like so many of my friends, made some quick decisions over a very few days, and have spent some two decades plus as a geophysicist. I’m a bleeping scientist!?! How’d that happen? I enjoy it.
And if it’s truly better to have loved and lost, well, I’ve done well in life.
How about that? My whole life story, and not a mention of taxicabs.