Non-stop action in the Coakley household

Notice how prepared to flee the scene I was in this pic? At the time I was 7 years of age and if I wasn’t being chased by my older brothers or their friends, I was chasing them trying to be a part of the local Kristin Lane street “gang” in Fairfax Virginia.

It was a constant rumble of kids moving from one dust bowl to another trying to stay one step ahead of the law (i.e. our parents).

A risk taker from the very start

As far back as I can remember I have enjoyed taking risks. That gleeful lil’ tike in this pic is me holding a card. Worst decision my mom ever made….

I suppose the lack of fear and my eagerness to take on risk that more sensible people would run from was inevitable as youngest of 3 boys. So perhaps my mom was just preparing me for what was ahead.

Born to run

This is a pic of me on my grandfather’s lap at his home in Farmville Virginia in August 1959.

Grandpa Dowdy was my mother’s dad and although I don’t remember him well I do think of him when I’m in my garden working on the tomatoes that I learned to love down in Farmville behind his house.

He was a farmer who worked hard to raise my mom and her 9 sisters and 3 brothers in their 2 bedroom house.

They had 300 acres of land and with few exceptions they lived off of the land. The stories my mom has shared with us our amazing.