The Early Years, A Road Less Traveled

The Early Years, A Road Less Traveled

by Dennis V. Damp

                                                        PREFACE

       Life in the mid-twentieth century was all one could imagine of that time, a Forrest Gump world running at a snail’s pace. The only cell phone we encountered was in the comic strips when Dick Tracy was all the rage. Computers were relegated to large research facilities, filling huge rooms with vacuum-tube equipment racks emanating ambient light and illuminating the room’s interior.
       Airplanes were becoming popular after World War II, but most relied on trains and trolleys to get where they needed to go. The middle class bought cars and homes at a feverish pace, yet most could only dream about living the “life of Riley,” an expression coined from an early 1950s TV sitcom. We watched Father Knows Best, The Donna Reed Show, and others that represented the ideal traditional family, infusing our dreams with visions of a stable, satisfying life surrounded by family and friends.
       The traditional family was on parade—a working father, a stay-at-home mom, and two adorable children—yet cracks were forming in that foundation by the 1960s. The younger generation, my generation, made waves as we grew up in a world still filled with conflict: the Korean War, Vietnam, the civil rights movement, and so much more. From this discourse the hippy generation and Woodstock were born along with the antiwar movement fomenting riots throughout the country.
       This was the backdrop for my generation, growing up in a slower-paced society embroiled in war along with social and economic unrest. Dreams and reality often conflict, and that, too, was the norm, not the exception back then. Yet there was always the thought that hard work, desire, and drive would afford anyone the opportunity to succeed in life.
       This is my story, recollections of a life filled with high expectations, daunting challenges, and combined with a large dose of reality in a multitude of environments and circumstances. All of which helped me become who I am today. It’s a story of our family’s early trials, tribulations, and successes all rolled into one. This sometimes-haphazard journey took on a life of its own, with diverse paths others may have found difficult to navigate. Failures contributed significantly to the journey and are a necessary component of all our lives. Successful people use failures as stepping stones to unimaginable accomplishments.
       While I’m hopeful what follows provides readers with something they’ll find thought-provoking, inspiring, or even amusing, in a nutshell, my story is that of an average person living life, at times facing what many would consider difficult, if not formidable circumstances. Simply put, I represent what one can do with so little, and yet go so far, even when the world expects virtually nothing of you. This is a story of my life’s struggle to not only make ends meet but to succeed beyond what others thought possible due to a family’s early misfortunes.

First edition 2020, Published by Bookhaven Press LLC
ISBN Print: 978-0-943641-36-2
Paperback 6" x 9", 218 Pages
Illustrated: 144 Photographs
Price: $16.95, Plus $3.75 for Shipping & Handling

Cover design by George Foster
Editing by Mirada Miller, Dennis V. Damp Jr., and Mary Damp

Printed in the United States of America

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"The Early Years, A Road Less Traveled" a memoir by Dennis Damp costs $16.95, plus $3.75 shipping & handling, for a total of $20.70.

Pennsylvania residents must add 7% sales tax for a total due of $22.15.

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