I am a former newspaper reporter (investigative; governmental; arts & entertainment; lifestyle features; columns); former elected municipal official; former hospital director of community and public relations; former executive director of a large non-profit agricultural awareness consortium and freelance writer and travel buff who has lived in south and east-central coastal Florida for nearly 45 years after relocating from Massachusetts. My years in journalism afforded me the highly unique opportunity to meet and interview people from literally all walks of life – from literal “jail birds” to entertainment/literary/media icons. I learned to relate to the “human-ness” of each of these people whether from everyday life to the highest levels of their chosen fields and public acclaim. At age 77, I have learned that in life, we are all in this together despite our disparate backgrounds and experiences. My sixth-grade teacher long ago told our class that “the first 100 years are the hardest” and she was right. But I am finding lots of serendipitous twists, turns and joys along that long road and I love my writing and examinations of compelling people to showcase the ways in which we are and feel alike.