I had been married for 35 years when my wife told me she met another man and was in love with him. She asked for a divorce. It was a shock to me and I went through every scenario I could imagine to help her stay with me and our two lovely and talented daughters.
I was at the peak of my game after recovering from losing my first career as and Air Traffic Controller with the FAA in 1981. My loyalty to my fellow controllers and the many unjust events leading up to the strike; President Reagans firing of some 11,500 Controllers is a story that has gotten little press.
Being a member of that elite well trained patriotic group of controllers made me feel a certain loyalty that many Americans never have. Some would argue that my loyalty was misplaced. Certainly many friends and relatives who knew me and the struggles I overcame to become a member of the FAA, ATC argued that I was being disloyal to my country. At the time I believe president Reagan felt that way. My former wife had another take on it. She believed I was being disloyal to her and my family. Yet the President knew we were not Terrorists or even Ant-American. As a result, he gave us an out and a deadline to return to avoid termination. Many of us were former military. In fact, about 80% of us were trained in the Military as Controllers or pilots or other military jobs associated with that profession. Very many of these patriots fought in South East Asia and were highly decorated real combat war heroes.
I was in the US Navy six years; two years active and four years active reserve. In the Navy, I was trained at Lakehurst NAS as a radar, sonar operator for Anti- Submarine warfare. due to loss of hearing as the result of working in a can making factory to pay my college tuition, During my active reserve status,[post active duty] I rejoined the military and enlisted in the US Air Force to train as a pilot. Prior to enlisting there I took the FAA Air Traffic Controller test and found while I was in training at Lackland Air Force base that the FAA had sent me an acceptance letter to my home in Tampa where I had just bought a new home. I found I would not make pilot status due to being two months too old when I finished that training. I opted to leave my commission and join the FAA in Hilliard Florida. near Jacksonville.
I joined the Jacksonville Baptist Church mostly because i missed church , having been raised a Catholic and having my parents insisting we attend church every Sunday. I cover all these details in my first book " My Journey By Faith".
What or who encouraged my faith and my desire to serve Jesus:
>I had an High School English Teacher Mr. Sipp. as an assignment he ask us to write an essay. He liked mine and told me I should be a writer. He told me every story, relationship and human emotion could be found all in one Book, The Bible.
I decided to read it as I would a novel. I first thought it was boring, but as A Catholic, I never really read anything other than Catechism.
As I read the Bible, I discovered many more things I had never heard of in the catholic Church. The Spirit revealed a whole lot more than I expected to find. I drifted from the Natural Man to the Spiritual Man.
> I was further motivated while serving in the Navy and having a 1st Class Bosens Mate who formed a small Bible Study group of sailors. Over the course o several cruises I learned a lot more about the Bible, I also met a fellow sailor who was an artist. He agreed to paint a picture of my girlfriends if I would write his story.
During a few Cruises in the Med, I wrote his story, a Novel about a Red headed pasty faced young Irish artist who falls for a black street girl.
> In the 70's I was a member of the Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church.
> in the 1980's I joined a men's Bible Study at First Baptist of Jacksonville. I was slowly growing into a serious Spirit filled believer.
> during the 90's I weakened and focused too much on my profession. After the FAA I became as salesman in the Local Cable TV company. Concentrating on my career and intending to come back to the earnings level I enjoyed as an FAA Contrller I lost my Focus on Church and religion.
> Suddenly in 1985 just as I became a Director of Corporate Planning . I was making about three times the salary I made as an FAA Controller. Then my world was rocked by an unexpected Crisis when my wife of 25 years said she had found another man and wanted a divorce.
> slowly, I fell back into the arms of Jesus for help. I was the Parodical Son returning home after having all the pleasures' of the world and then the sudden collapse that followed.
>During and after my divorce I fully recovered financially and spiritually.
>Lastly, God introduced me to a godly Christian woman.
All of these experiences led me to want to share my Journey with others, so I Wrote this book detailing all these life experiences.
