Desert of Waters

It would only seem fair to Mom (16 Candles) and Dad (True Grit) to post my picture around the 16th birthday. Head titled a little to the right, black hair, brown eyes, and thick eyebrows come through. [Black hair and brown eyes were Ewen.] A thin narrow tie reveals the 60s. My smile looks a bit forced, but by this time in history you often had to smile on demand.

I can remember early on, that I was always fascinated with the stars. The constellations had their own stories from Greek mythology, and my favorite was the "Queen's Chair". [She was placed by the gods to stand on her head part of the year.] Asking for a telescope one Christmas, Santa brought me a microscope. A new idea...looking at the world from a different angle...looking inward instead of looking outward. Hum...I would become a doctor instead of an astronomer?

I often wonder if my life would have been different if I had gotten a telescope that Christmas. Becoming a doctor took a lot of determination and true grit. A little from Mom and a little from Dad, and a new idea. Carl Schurz said:

"Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them with your hands. But like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, & following them you will reach your destiny."