Let me first mention I have the privilege of knowing Arnie first hand… We are neighbors here at Cornet Bay and I’ve spent more than one afternoon/evening in his home hearing the tales of “Arn, the Commercial Fisherman”, “Arn, the Contractor”, “Arn, the Deputy Sheriff”, “Arn, the Cowboy, Bull Rider, Chariot Racer”, “Arn, the Entertainer”… The list is almost endless… I was actually able to share Arnies’ escapade of putting the book together. He allowed me to read many of the transcripts as the different chapters were written…. It was a fun adventure!
As we travel our journey through life, we come across those unique souls that somehow manage to take life to its fullest…. I consider them a “Rare Breed”. You’re about to read the tales of one of those characters… I have managed to put a little excitement in my own life journey including flying jet aircraft on and off a “Pitching Deck” aircraft carrier in the middle of the night, but all-in-all, my life journey has been pretty tame compared to the first seventy years of one Mr. Arnie Deckwa…
It’s the type of life journey you usually only read about in books or see in movies.... Most are usually fiction, but every now and then you get the “Real Thing”..… Most folks are ready to start “Slowing Down” at seventy, but this cowboy is “Just Gettin’ Started”…..
How many of us at age 14 can say “I’m the “Skipper” of a commercial fishing Boat? My biggest achievement at that age, was knowing how to “milk a cow”…
It all started back when he was 14 and he easily assumed the persona of “James Dean” in front of the bathroom mirror…. Black leather jacket un-zipped, collar turned “up”, white T-shirt exposed…. Attitude in place…. Yes sir, he was “Going Places”, he just didn’t know where at the time…. You now have the book that tells the story!
Reminds me of those descriptive words, “Fire in the Wind” by America’s most prolific singer/song writer, John Stewart.
So, get ready for the “Ride”. You’re about to take a journey that has many turns and will show you that “Following Your Dream” can sometimes turn out totally different than you anticipated, but the final road taken, does indeed end with a “Dream Come True”. It’s filled with adventures and “Roads Less Taken”, but most of all; it’s a book that just makes you “Feel Good”. I guarantee it will bring a smile and “Warm Your Heart”….
This ride includes:
Snakes, Horses, Moose, Mountain Goats, Bears in the Tent, Little Red, a little dirt in the face compliments of a poor choice of words and Grandpa Deckwa, flying through the air and bouncing “Off the Wall” compliments of another poor choice of words and Grandpa Sterkel, 57 Chevy’s, Bulls & Chariots and Condos & Cowboys. After a 5000 mile round trip journey from Oak Harbor, WA to Nashville, TN; this cowboy’s “Dream” gets a new direction after a chance encounter in the back stage area of the “Grand Old Opry” and he returns home with a beautiful wife who helps him become the “Entrepreneur of Cornet Bay”. He now has products in 1000’s of food stores across the nation and he is making personal phone calls from his 400 sq foot boyhood home (now serving as his office) to CEOs and managers of billion $ companies ….. It’s a ride you will enjoy taking. Next stop, “The Movie”!!!
To Arn; “Thanks for a GREAT weekend”, I was up till 4:30 AM on Saturday morning and then my final Saturday night read until midnight. Makes a man realize how special life can be….. Thanks for the smiles!!!!!! Yes sir, YOU DID GOOD!!!!!
Mark Brady
Cdr, US Navy (Retired)
President, Island Sound & Video Systems, Inc
Friend and Neighbor
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