If you're just joining in for this "Decades" series on my life, you might want to go back to Decade 1 before reading this one! Decade 2: Age 10-19 opens with our family living in Tokyo, Japan. This is the Decade of Personal Development.

Facts: Unless you saw me on the David Letterman show a couple of years ago or know me very well in real life, you probably didn't know that I was a national TV star in Japan! For 3 seasons, I was a "Dennis The Menace" type character in an English-language sitcom.







It started when they needed a kid for a family setting, the feedback was tremendous, and the series got rewritten around me. Every episode was some sort of object lesson and full of trouble and mischief, usually caused by me! That evolved into me doing print ads, voice-overs on movies and TV shows (Godzilla, Rocket Boy cartoon series, etc.) as well as those language lab tapes you'd have listened to if you were learning English in Japan. I even had a band that got to play for parties and on TV once—covering a Rolling Stones song.







For 8th grade, we moved to London, England. I went from being a national celebrity to being no one. But I continued with music, starting a little band that played at lunchtime most weeks. For high school, we moved to a base closer to Oxford and I spent 9th-12th grade there. This was England during the late '60s/early '70s—the psychedelic era! Long hair, wild paisley shirts, etc.







I got along with everyone, fitting well into every group. I was a jock (double varsity letter, football and basketball—that's how I got my back injury that just was surgically corrected, nationally-ranked skeet shooter, and bowler—all UK champ.). I was a nerd (President of the National Honor Society, Valedictorian). I was a leader (VP Student Government, lots of activities). I was a party guy (hung with the cool crowd—my best friends). I was always Mr. Social, crossing boundaries with ease. People are just people!

For college, I chose Georgia Tech, because of their strong engineering reputation and attractive package they offered National Merit Scholars. I selected Chemical Engineering as my major, since I had a perfect score on the SAT Math section and ACT Chemistry test. I loved Chemistry but wanted to apply it to solve problems. More on this in the next Decade.

Feelings: I never realized the TV thing was that big a deal. My Mom handled all my fan mail, gave me tons of things to sign every month, and I just enjoyed the fun of doing the show. Yes, it was strange to be stopped on the street for pictures and autographs, but Japan is a crazy place anyway. I just thought it went with the territory. Girlfriends were another constant theme but I only had 2-3 serious relationships in high school and then met Carol the summer between high school and college. We spent a lot of time at the beach then did the whole long distance thing for the next 4 years (she went to Florida State and later to the Medical College of Georgia). And this was in the era before cell phones, e-mail, etc.—all with letters, visits, and dormitory pay phones!










But cars also became a huge passion for me during this time. I nudged my dad into buying a high performance '67 Mustang as our family car to take to England. It was a blast—and was the car I first learned to drive! I read everything I could get my hands on and became car crazy for life. We went to watch F1 and other races at Silverstone and I was hooked on open wheel racing too. In college, I had a '68 Camaro. My first summer paycheck went to buy new wheels and tires! LOL

I also loved all the leadership stuff more than the academics, both in high school and in college. My uncle, a businessman, asked me after my sophomore year what I wanted to do and how much to earn as a living. I realized I'd be more satisfied in the leadership ranks than designing piping and pumping systems for refineries.

Favorite Memories: Traveling across the Pacific Ocean on a huge ocean liner and getting tagged by a 50' wave! Tables, chairs, dishes, glasses, and people went flying across the room—I thought it was fun! LOL Driving across the U.S. in the new Mustang, seeing the beauty and isolation of the west (e.g., Utah, Wyoming, Montana). Racing against friends at lunch in high school (the Fox and Hounds game we created). Playing Pinochle with my Mom and friends, many times watching the sun come up! Watching the first moon landing on TV and thinking how cool that would be to do. Having a true "come to Jesus" moment in a car where all that saved me was a miraculous "hand of God" that picked the car up and put it straight on the road. From that point on, I believed in God.

Findings: Life changes and things come and go. You have to make the most of every experience and place that you're at. You can't mourn the past. Pursue the intersection of your passion and skills (more on that in Decade 3 too). That will lead to your best success in work and life. Myers-Briggs personality research says we're basically formed by age 12. My personality was clear—competitive, problem solver, extrovert, leader, social, big picture view, thinker, driven for excellence. In their terms, I'm an ENTJ—also known as the Field Marshal personality. And I was fearless, probably due to having so much independence and encouragement. I traveled the streets of Tokyo and London alone (ages 10-13) without trouble. I had a pattern of success and my parents never led or shaped me with fear.

Well, I hope you enjoyed Decade 2. The next one will be all about Professional Development—college, grad school, and the early working years. And many themes will continue, of course!