Living Our Dream
To some folks I seem like a lucky man, but I don’t see it as luck. I see it as a blessing. I have reached a place in my life and my relationship with God where I can look up in the sky and see the darkest of storm clouds and know that behind them lie the clearest blue skies I will ever see. My faith is stronger than it has ever been and I know now that God truly does have a plan for my life. I know, too, that the greatest obstacle in fulfilling that plan is me. Like everyone else, my life has had its ups and downs and it seems like we will never get caught up, never have any peace or happiness and never quite seem to be able to fulfill our dreams. But what I have learned in recent years is that life should never wasted worrying about everything that is wrong with it. And so I turned it over to God and got busy working out the logistics to all those dreams I needed to fulfill! I decided to stop reaching for it and instead, get up there and grab it.
I have never known love so strong as I know with my bride and I can honestly say that I am married to my favorite person in the world…my best friend and partner in life. She is the lifeline I needed as I approach fifty. I am the father of 3 wonderful daughters, a stepfather to 2 fine young men and a second Dad to a few others. As fulfilling as that is, it pales in comparison to being a Grandparent. We have 3 terrific Grandsons between us and though I had heard it before from others, I now know it to be true…Grandbabies change everything. I spent most of my adult life in the Army and later in contracting so as much as I missed with my children as they were growing up, it is very important to me that can I devote time to their children…to go hiking, hunting and fishing like I did as a boy. I want to go to their baseball games and birthday parties…and most of all, I want to be there for them when they need their Grandpa. This is one of the reasons I have so longed to build our company. I want to be able to involve them and one day, I want to be able to pass it on to them in whatever form it takes and to give them an opportunity to live their own dreams. Hopefully, when that day comes they will still be able to enjoy the gifts of nature that our Lord has provided us.
I have been a hunter and fisherman nearly all of my life. As far back as I can remember, I was fishing with my Uncle Paul or hunting squirrels with my Uncle Newton. I have been a writer, taxidermist, sculptor and flat artist for over 25 years, a product of my love of the outdoors and my desire to be creative, all of which has contributed in many ways to the evolution of what I do for living. As tough as it can be at times, I am very excited about the future.
Ken
Citizen Sportsman is an online Outdoor Magazine and Blog sharing life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
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More about me…
I have always had a love affair with the great outdoors. I used to spend my summers in Tampa with family and it gave me ample
opportunity to experience it, especially with my Uncle Paul and Aunt Gladys. Their home was nestled behind an orange grove just off of Gunn Highway in Odessa Florida, set against the backdrop of a beautiful body of water, aptly named Lake Calm. I have many wonderful memories of this place…of fishing, swimming and just experiencing nature in such a way that would rival the adventures of Huck Finn himself…Read more >
My Uncle Paul gave to me an incredible gift. There is no question that my enduring love and respect for nature was seeded on his watch. He taught me to fish, to shoot a bow and was the first to teach me about firearms, masterfully emphasizing stewardship and safety…Read more >
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