Welcome. These stories reflect memories, challenges, friendships, family history, military service, travels, losses, and lessons learned over eighty years of life.
Introduction
Navigation Note:
Each story title below is linked to its individual post. Stories may also be explored chronologically through the blog archive or by selecting topic labels attached to each post.
Childhood and Family
My Mother, Elizabeth Smith (1917–2007)
Growing Up In Burlington, Vermont (1945–1953)
School, Work, and Early Adulthood
My High School Sophomore and Junior Years (1960–1961)
My High School Senior Year 1963
An Undergraduate Student at Indiana University (1963-1967)
My ROTC Experience (1963–1967)
My Race Experience (1964–1977)
Vietnam, Homecoming, and Memory
My Vietnam War Experience 1968
Long Suppressed Memories (1969–1973)
Career, Family, and Life Direction
Adventures With My Son Matthew (1983–1995)
Why I Fell In Love With Two Wheels (1950–Today)
Cultural Destiny (1960 - Present)
My Wife, Fang-Chuoh "Vicki" Liu (2014-Today)
Spirituality, Health, and Later Reflections
My Spiritual Retreat Experiences (1993–1998)
Travel and Small Moments
Northern California Coast Road Trip 2022
Eulogies and Tributes
Eulogy For My Dad Lester Smith (1915–2012)
Eulogy For A Special Friend Stan Sutliff 2020
Eulogy For My Very Dear Friend Gene Leong 2023
Why These Eulogies and Tributes Are Included
This memoir is primarily a collection of stories about my life. However, these are a few people whose influence on me were so significant that I wanted to include the tributes I wrote in their memory. These pieces were written for public presentation as originally delivered. They capture not only the lives of my father and my close friends, but also my thoughts, emotions, and values at important moments in my life. These individuals influenced me in different ways. My father helped me form many of my values that guided my life, while close friends like Stan and Gene challenged, encouraged, and enriched me as I moved through life's chapters.