Before I became a bony, arrogant, and selfish teenage snob, I was a shy, chubby bookworm with a crew cut, thick glasses, and a sense of modesty that bordered on the nutty — I wouldn’t even let bare ankles show between pants and shoes.

My prepubescent self was inhibited and stubborn, but also kinder than the “Teen-to-Come” — I would actually do things to please others. My father loved fishing and wanted me to love it too, so I humored him and always said “yes” when he asked me to go on fishing trips. I didn’t like handling the smelly crabmeat bait or seeing and hearing fish struggle after being caught, or getting seasick as monstrous swells would almost capsize the boat, but I enjoyed the fragrant sea breezes, the warm sun, the boat rides, navigating around old buoys and isolated lighthouses, seeing the herons, hawks and ducks that flew near us…

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