I do not know why it is that I have always been happier thinking of somewhere I have been or wanted to go, than where I am at the time. I find it dif… - Pat Conroy

In the thirty-three years he was in the Marine Corps, Col. Conroy concentrated on the task of defending his country and he did so, exceedingly well. In the next twenty-four years left to him, he put all his efforts into the art of being a terrific father, a loving uncle, a brother of great substance, a beloved grandfather, and a friend to thousands. Out of uniform, the Colonel let his genius for humor flourish. Always in motion he made his rounds in Atlanta each day and no one besides himself knew how many stops he put in during a given day. He was like a bee going from flower to flower, pollinating his world with his generous gift for friendships.

Ireland lived deeply inside of me, a fierce and intransigent resident in my bloodstream.

One can do anything, anything at all, I thought, if provided with a passionate and gifted teacher.