Colin's Past

Past

Born and raised in England.

Milestones

mother died when he was five
got scholarship to school
quit school and worked
enlisted in Navy see his ship
became fighter pilot
got married
came to United States (with wife who was American)
had children (1 boy, 2 girls)
went to school for Education
became an elementary school principal
began photography hobby
retired from principal job
began photography career and traveling

Having fun as a teenager: "About the only things we did (for fun) didn't require money because we didn't have any.We played ball games: football, cricket, going with friends. We lived on the edge of the country so we would do a lot of things in the country. Probably seems pretty dull to you now." (laughs)

Comparing teen life then and now: "Overall I think teens try as hard as they did when I was a teen. I have seen teenagers who try very hard, who succeed at what they are doing. I've watched them go through school that way. I've watched others who have the brains but don't apply themselves and who are going nowhere. I think there is less incentive for teens to try hard nowadays but it depends on the home."

Getting along with parents: "My mother was dead so that was out. My father was always busy so I really never knew him. But as far as that goes I got along with him OK."

Things that had an affect on life: "The war had a tremendous affect on my life,certainly and coming over to the States. That opened up possibilities that just didn't exist in England."

Advice gotten as a kid: "I think the only piece of advice I got as a kid was my father telling me to look after my health. He was a champion runner, he was a cross country runner in the London area. He won all kinds of silver cups and stuff. So he valued health and that's really the only advice that I can recall."

Goals as a teen: "I think that was the trouble: I didn't have any goals as a teenager and I quit school at 16. And then after 2 years of working I realized what a mistake that was- making 4 dollars a week. I joined the Navy and then I did have goals. One of them was to become a Navy fighter pilot and that remained my chief goal at that time. I applied to fly in the navy and passed the physical but the selection board turned me down because I hadn't completed school. So I joined the Navy as an ordinary seaman, went through basic training, was recommended for officer training and then applied again for flight training and the board accepted me. so I achieved that goal then."

His definition of the "good life" when he was a teen: "When I was a teen the war has started- in '39 and we had six years of war. I'm afraid it wasn't much of a good life. We were short of food all the time. Everything was rationed. I guess being with friends was about the only way we could have any kind of decent life."

Hardest part about becoming an adult: "I don't whether it was that hard (becoming an adult) because during those days when you were in the Navy and you were in action, you were forced to become an adult before your time. When you were seeing combat at 18 or 19 you grow up awfully fast. I didn't have any contact with civilian life until after the war."

The most painful times in life: "As a child my mother died when I was 5. My two brothers and I were shuttled separately between various homes so we had no particular home. There was a shortage of food because of the war and we used to have up to 14 hours of bombing per night. Seeing the houses destroyed and other people killed. I think those were the hardest times."

see Colin's thoughts on society

Copyright © 2003, Insite Mentoring Program, All rights reserved.