From 0 to 49: My Journey in 7 Year Blocks

0 – 7 on the way to 49: A couple of weeks ago I woke up realizing I was turning 49 in less than a month. No, I’m not worried about getting older, I was pumped because I was turning 49 and how cool it was to be a prime number. Oops, about three seconds later I realized that 49 is not a prime number and that neat phenomena wasn’t going to happen until I turn 53. However, the fact that 49 can be divided equally into 7 equal parts of 7 led me to realize that, with some minor overlap, my life has really worked well in the 7-year increments. So, to appease my own curiosity and to cathartically get it out, I decided to write about each of my 7-year segments leading up to turning 49.

Today will be pretty simple. I am going from 0 to 7. I know I was born in the Winter Haven Hospital. That is where it happened back in 1972. Yes, for those of us who have been in and around the Winter Haven area for many years we know that the Regency is where the youth of the area come into existence these days, but many years ago we were born in the same place where the emergencies went, surgeries took place, and where those on the 5th floor hung out. I do not know all the details, nor do I really care, but I know that we lived in Winter Haven, Auburndale, and Lake Alfred. None of that really matters because for an infant there is no recollection. Memories are super hazy, especially at this point in life. Even though these years do not have a lot of lasting memories, there are many things that happened or were happening that have shaped me to this day. My parents were athletes and that was engrained at an early age. I walked, learned how to ride my Evil Knievel bicycle, and gained the hand-eye coordination that was obviously handed down from my mom and dad. There are also a few things that happened at that early age that still matter to me today. The first is my desire for education and learning. My mom was a teacher, and that attitude was put in my brain at an incredibly early age. Learning was something that just was expected, and for sure took place, even at this early age. The second is my love of racing. My dad and granddaddy raced in the SCCA. We drove to the track on Friday and came home late on Sunday. Many times, I would be sleeping on the floorboard of the car, the bed of the Grey Ghost, or some other vehicle to get us to and from the track. I guess the third would be traveling. This goes back to the racing and family trips. To this day I still really do not like being at home. The road is my home. Oh wow, I’m starting to sound like a Metallica song. A fourth thing that occurred at an early age that still sticks with me today is business, probably more about family business. My grandparents owned an aluminum company called Central Florida Aluminum in Lake Alfred and I remember spending many hours in the paneled office and super big warehouse. Oh yeah, it was also the race shop. The last thing, which I have already touched on a little bit was my love for athletics. Little league was a big thing in Lake Alfred. I played baseball, youth soccer in Winter Haven, and rode my bicycle around the neighborhood. All of these shaped me in the years to come.

There were probably some things that also shaped me, although I would not realize it until much later in life. My mom dressed me in completely matching outfits from an incredibly young age. To this day I still have a thing for clothes. I hated walking on the grass as a kid. Currently, I have the softest feet and barely ever walk barefooted. My poor feet just cannot handle it. I do not mind getting dirty to do work but must clean up immediately after because I just cannot handle the grime on me. I like a good party and there was a time when I did not know how to stop when it started. Like many people I love and cherish, the learned behavior can also be changed later in life. Lastly, many people find this a negative, but it has served me well, and caused me much angst throughout the years; take care of yourself and do what makes you happy. Once that is complete, take care of your community by serving it, sponsoring it, and supplying jobs in it. The first part is what causes people, whether that be friends or family, the most trouble.

The first seven years were rather good, what of it I can remember. In the horse world they call this the imprinting time, it does not last as long as it does in humans, but I still have many of the same things inside me today. Tomorrow we go from 8-14! Photo credit goes to Alex Hockett for the baby, Ryan Fields for the building blocks, and Liz Fitch for the MGB