Another major turning point was buying a Scrabble game in grade 12 (1966-67), which I played with my closest friends Hugh and Dave. (I still play it once a year minimum.)
An awakening interest that year in words and language along with the gr. 12 English books–Hamlet, Hardy’s Return of the Native, Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The overlapping worlds of language and literature opening up suddenly, memorably, and powerfully. The freedom of thought and expression simultaneously blossoming hugely.
At the same time I took to the boards more prominently in a play The Red Velvet Goat and Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury, opening the doors to public performance and all the years of performing that followed. (I even played the butler in The Importance of Being Earnest and sang Simon and Garfunkle songs with my friend Chris at MTC.) There seemed to be no limits with language, literature, and performing all opening up to me in 1967, the year of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the year I met the love of my life Karen Reade (still my better half 51 years later)
