Richard Parker

As for me and my life, it has been wonderful. Blessed beyond words. But I must admit the past 40 years have flown bye. After high school, 4 years in the Coast Guard the 12 in real estate. In 86 went to Wall St. eventually opening a stock brokerage firm. Grew it to 68 offices across the country, took it public in 98 & sold it in 02. Began writing in 1990s, have written 9 books, working on #10. Now I speak/write/consult in the RV Resort industry. Yes, I know, that is an odd line of work. But I just that pretty much sums up my life, always taking the road least traveled. For the past 30 years I have traveled that least traveled road with my wife Joan, a wonderful person. She and I travel with a 15 year old beagle, Sergeant William Pepper III, via a 40 ft motor coach seeing America at eye-level. We have two grown sons and 3 great grandkids, I actually co-authored a kids book with my oldest, Brittney, “The Tunnel of Time”, making her a published author at 12. She is now 16 and working on her second book (without Pa’s help). Hard to believe that took 40 years.

Driving to Lums Restaurant with a car full of kids knowing that life will never again be this much fun.

Our Senior Trip to St Augustine when Mark Moore tried to buy beer with a fake ID and a fake mustache. While getting carded in a bar under a black light the glue that held the fake mustache on glowed green - no beer for Mark

The Burning of the Indian

Our Sheriff's daughter (that would be Lana Norvell) convincing the Sr. Float Committee it would be OK to "Borrow" a little wood from a construction site to finish out float

Getting rubber as you left the Senior parking lot

Mitch Hilburn signing "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" as the last song at every victory dance.

Cindy Stringfield's dad (the Highway Patrolman) scaring the crap out of me when I came to pick her up for a date

Driving my first car on my first out of town trip with a bunch of friends to see Paul Revere & the Raiders play in at Pirates World

Warren Crittenden teaching me to sail his Hobie Cat

Being a founding member of the Spirit of 70

Playing cards all night at David Feibelman's house

Landing the roll of the cheerleader in Cheaper By The Dozen, our Jr. Play

Mustering the courage to jump off Little Jim bridge

Dressing as a cheerleader with my fellow Key Clubbers for the Powerpuff football game

The fear of not being ask out at Twerp Week - thank God I wasn't overlooked - I gained a new respect of how hard it was for you ladies to wait to be ask out -- every week

Road trips to out of town football games

Laughing at anything Ronnie Grifffith said

Surfing North beach and letting the air out of the tires on any car with a Miami license plate (Miami Kooks)

Circling Bill's Burger 62 time in one night

Fairy Loops on shirts, Desert Boots, bleeding madras, 8-Track tapes, knots on your knees from paddling a surfboard was a good thing.

Learning to kiss in the back row of the Sunrise Theater

Growing up in a time that locking your doors was not needed, your word was all that mattered, and no one needed a lawyer except for a will.

And the list goes on..........