The Me That I Am

You know Pinball? You know the little silver ball? If that little ball represents a person and the game represents life, most people are like the little balls that bounce a couple of times and then head straight for the exit. Not much hardship, turmoil or pandemonium in their lives. Some people bounce a bit more but eventually find the path that takes them right on to the exit. Me? When I pop up the Pinball Wizard has control. Bam, Blam, Boom, still bouncing and hoping for a rut to get into. Fat chance in that.

I’ve lived a life that never went in a straight line. Some people follow a clear path; I tended to find the side roads, the detours, the unmarked trails. Looking back, those were the places where the real stories happened.

I’ve worked more jobs than I can easily list, raised a family, made mistakes, learned from a few of them, and collected a lifetime of moments that refused to stay quiet. Writing became the way I made sense of it all — the way I stitched together the humor, the heartbreak, the absurdity, and the unexpected grace that showed up when I least deserved it.

This site is my ongoing memoir. Not a polished book, but a living archive of the stories that shaped me: family tales, personal reflections, essays on the world as I see it, and the small revelations that come with age.

Late in life, my body slowed down before my mind was ready. That shift didn’t define me, but it did give me time — time to write, time to reflect, time to finally tell the stories I’d been carrying for decades.

If you find something here that resonates, I’m glad! If you see a piece of your own life in mine, even better.

Thanks for stopping by,

Ted

April 2026

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