This is the story of a teenage boy who dropped out of high school and joined the U.S. Coast Guard to see the world and learn a skill to enable him to survive the rigors of life.  In the process of attaining his goals, he had to learn how to evade some of life's many pitfalls, and to survive the ones he couldn't.  Although this story is heavily influenced by his many years of service, it is not a story about the Coast Guard, but rather a story of his survival, sometimes against overwhelming odds, and of his many accomplishments. I hope you enjoy my story.