The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost's 1916 poem about taking the "road less traveled" has inspired many people.    There may be one path we take in our lives, but there are many forks in that road.    If someone asked me what my career path would be if I had not taken the broadcasting and advertising route, my answer would be quick and clear.   I'd be teaching history.   My fascination with social studies even predates my interest in radio as a kid.   Geographic facts stick to me like Crazy Glue, but maps can get very technical.   It's the story of man that is most compelling to me.   When I go on a vacation trip, I make a terrible beach bum.  I'd rather play tourist.   That means visiting historic places.   In the seventies, I took plenty of college history courses but was discouraged from pursuing it because it was "not very marketable" at that point while I landed a radio job right  after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree.   After being laid off from Hartford radio station WDRC in 2002, I pursued the history dream again with four courses at Eastern Connecticut State University.   Maturity worked better for me the second time around in the form of better study habits as I garnered straight A's, but again I got more involved in making a living in radio broadcasting and direct mail advertising.   It was a great experience, but the history goal - and free time - grew more elusive than ever.   As I follow today's news, I know this background has helped me make some sense out of it all.   You might think I would watch the History Channel all the time, but much of the UFO shows and Nostradamus predictions seem like pseudo-history instead.   We can draw from so much real history - and should.