Dale Hooper

The Way It Was ... As I Recall It Now: Memoir Dale Hooper

As folks draw nearer to their life expectancy, they begin to reflect on the meaning of their lives. There were events painful to recall, goals missed, or goals just not set, but there are no "do-overs". From the vantage point of a long life, an overview shows it has been a great adventure, which led to the far side of Africa for nearly 30 years. Some good and meaningful things happened. What? When? And, with what results? A new longing for adventure came into focus through the chronicling of nearly 80 his years. A new challenge was born-to write it down for others to read, especially his own children and scattered friends. But would anyone really be interested? That in itself became the challenge to write, and a new thirst for adventure. But doubts flooded in: "Is my adventure of life good enough to write about? Who would want to read it?" Even when the process was begun, nagging doubts crept into the corner of the brain: "You can't write it. You'll never finish it?"After starting in secret, the feeling of inferiority kept saying, "You'll never finish it." But he did, and bringing this adventure to a successful conclusion was a victory.