Horizons like Mountains

Segments of life seldom connect chronologically. An epiphany experienced at age 10 might not complete its circuit of truth in an individual's consciousness until age 60. An observation by a grandparent might not resonate until the hearer reaches middle age.The miracle of the mind — in partnership with the emotional landscape we refer to as the heart — is that it is constantly linking various pieces of shifting realities and immutable truths absorbed during different stages of life into a unit of knowledge and a gem of wisdom. With this in mind, the following book focuses on 10 distinct experiences in my life — some of them with me as the protagonist, others with me as the observer or chronicler. Limiting this list to 10 proved difficult. Prior to my 32nd birthday, I had served a two-year church mission among the people of Italy, earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science/communications, served four years of active duty in the U.S. Marines, spent two years spinning my wheels as a near-minimum-wage security guard and obtained my dream job as a full-time newspaper journalist. To borrow from the Joni Mitchell song, I've seen life from most sides now. My greatest hope is that these accounts might inspire, enlighten, revive happy or meaningful memories for the reader and share the stories of some incredible individuals.