Not Eligible for High School: Woodworker

My parents, John and Mollie Starck, had 16 children. I was their youngest child. When I was three years old, dad noticed how good I could drive nails and he bought me a little hammer. When visitors came to our house dad would show them how well I could use my hammer. I was always good at building things. I could just look at something and figure out how it was made. I can’t explain it. It’s just a gift that God gives you.My school years are another story. I have dyslexia and never learned how to read when I was in school. I was in the first grade two years and in the second grade for two years. After that, they just pushed me through. The only subjects I was good at were art and shop. School is impossible if you can’t read.When I was in the eighth grade, on my final report card, Mrs. Fagan and the high school principal wrote, “Not Eligible for High School.” Right on the report card. That’s why I’ve named this book, “Not Eligible for High School.” My teachers and the principal decided I was too dumb to go to high school. The reality is that they were also dumb in their way. They didn’tknow how to teach somebody like me and there are lots of people like me. Thank God, things have changed at school.I was in the Army during the Korean War. They had me maintaining vehicles in the motor pool. I was good at my job and they made me the head mechanic even though there were men with a better education than I had. They wanted to make me a Sargent and that scared the holy hell out of me. I knew that I wouldn’t have been able to do the paperwork. Later inlife, I became the foreman of a cabinet shop for a large construction company. My employers knew that I couldn’t read but they also knew I was very good at what I did. Even though I wasn’t eligible for high school, it didn’t stop me from accomplishing just as much or more in my lifetime as my classmates.I hope this book shows that people who don’t know how to read and write can be very smart and talented in other ways. I hope people don’t look down on those who can’t read or write. In 1993, I threw my hard hat in a trash can and retired. During my career I built houses and large buildings. I’ve been retired for many years but still like making things out of wood. Of all the materials I’ve ever built with, wood is my favorite. Since I wasn’t good at reading, I always learned by watching people. Today, I watch amazing woodworkers on YouTube and then I go and see if I can do it too. Reading was never easy for me but that didn’t stop me from making things that I enjoy.This book has two stories. The first story, Not Eligible for High School, is a story about my life. The second story, Map Narrative, is a story about the town I grew up in, Berthoud, Colorado. I want to tell you about the interesting people and businesses that were in Berthoud when I grew up.I want to give special thanks to my good friend, Kathy Fithian. Several years ago, I told her that I wanted to write a book about my life. Kathy agreed to help me. We started in 2017 when I was still living in Colorado. I told my stories to Kathy and she typed the stories as I talked. Later, after I moved to New Jersey, Kathy and I used Skype instead of the telephone. Iwouldn’t have been able to make this book without her help. I’d also like to thank my nephew, Tom Goss. Tom formatted Kathy’s story and my pictures so that they could be printed in this book.
ASIN: B08DSS7MCP
VSKU: BVV.B08DSS7MCP.A
Condition: Acceptable
Author/Artist:Starck, Alvin
Binding: Paperback
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: The item is very worn but is perfectly usable. Signs of wear can include aesthetic issues such as scratches, dents, worn and creased covers, folded page corners and minor liquid stains. All pages and the cover are intact, but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include moderate to heavy amount of notes and highlighting, but the text is not obscured or unreadable. Page edges may have foxing age related spots and browning . May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.