For most of my life, I never imagined I would write a book.
I spent my career building businesses, raising a family, solving problems, and moving forward. Like many people, I assumed there would always be time later to tell the stories that mattered.
Then one day, I realized something.
The memories that shaped me—the people, the struggles, the lessons, the mistakes, the victories—would eventually disappear unless someone took the time to preserve them.
That realization began an 18-month journey.
At first, I thought I was writing a memoir for my daughter. I wanted her to know where she came from and to understand the family history, experiences, and values that helped shape her father. I wanted to leave something behind that would outlast photographs and possessions.
But as I wrote, the project became something more.
The story took me back to Westport, Connecticut, during the 1960s and 1970s. It brought me face to face with a childhood filled with contradictions: discipline and rebellion, confidence and uncertainty, expectations and independence.
What surprised me most was discovering how universal many of those experiences were. The details may be uniquely mine, but the themes belong to all of us. Most people have struggled to find their place. Most people have wrestled with family expectations. Most people have wondered whether they were enough.
Writing the book forced me to revisit moments I had not thought about in decades. Some made me smile. Some made me uncomfortable. All of them helped me better understand the person I became.
When I finally completed the manuscript, I realized that the book was no longer just a gift for my family. It was an invitation to readers to reflect on their own journeys.
If someone reads my story and feels inspired to preserve their own family history, reconnect with an old memory, or see their own struggles in a different light, then the effort was worthwhile.
The publication of Finding My Way in Westport is not the end of that journey. In many ways, it is the beginning of a new conversation.
Thank you for joining me on it.