<p>We all have a story to tell. Mine is a sea story that started in<br />
1948 when I turned 14 and no further education was available<br />
to me. My father gave me two choices: stay home and fish or ship<br />
out.<br />
For the next 48 years, I sailed the world carrying cargo from one<br />
country to another. The ships became my home and floating<br />
workplace. When I went ashore in foreign ports, I never felt that I<br />
was more than a taxi ride away from home. I learned at an early age to<br />
respect different people and their cultures, and I witnessed their<br />
struggles firsthand. Being a merchant seaman is not for everyone, but<br />
once it&rsquo;s in your blood, you don&rsquo;t want to do anything else. When I<br />
was at sea, I always felt I had one of the best and most exciting jobs,<br />
whether I was the deck boy or captain. I served on 62 different ships<br />
and visited 173 ports in 73 countries, some many times over. When<br />
I began, the world was busy rebuilding after World War II. It was a<br />
great time to be young, single, and adventurous. It was a time that<br />
can never be repeated.</p>