"For a long while now I have had the sense that I must take the time and make the effort to write down some memories of my life for the sake of coming generations. I tried to start several times, but I found the going very difficult for several reasons: 1. How do you capture more than eighty years of life on the few pages of a book? 2. Memories are funny things. Two people who have had the very same experience often remember it differently. This shows us clearly that memories are subject to our interpretation. 3. Much of what I remembered, especially from my early life, seemed sad, and I didn't want to just write a woe-is-me report. 4. As we age, memories are one of the many things we often start to lose, especially the detail of them. "Still I knew that I must write my story, the best I can remember it. And, in the end, I found that I had to tell it, sad or not. But, along with any sadness, I can say that trials and difficulties build character in us when we learn to face them squarely and keep moving forward toward a better future for ourselves and others. That is my fervent wish for my children and grandchildren and each succeeding generation." - Teddie Irwin - Carencro, Louisiana