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WAYFARERS
PASSAGE,
EPISODE
ONE
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Tommy Michel from New Orleans
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T
HE JOURNEY TO KATAHDIN, written by Tommy Michel, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, was second of eight.
"When I was not yet one year old and still nursing, my parents, with my older brother Fred and me, left our home, family and friends to move to another state.
"My father had recently graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans and after applying for work, received his first full time job in the northern panhandle of the state located directly west of Louisiana. He packed up his family of four to begin the journey west to the small town of Borger, Texas.
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"I don′t remember anything about our first home in Borger, in fact, my memories do not begin until the time in our next home after my dad′s company offered him a better position if he would take the opening at the Pasadena, Texas refinery. My memories of life in that second home on Garner Street are few, as I was still very young. Instead, it was after we moved again, this time to Roper Street when I began going to a colloquial school, where I have much recollection."
—Tommy Michel
Download:
my Free Digital Book at the
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This entire book may be downloaded Free in digital format (.pdf). Most all electronic devices have a digital reader for .pdf and if yours does, then all you have to do is select the book icon. However, if you do not have a digital reader, then search for the Free Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, at the
Microsoft Store.
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TOMMY
MICHEL was born during the fall of 1950 at the Baptist hospital in the Crescent City in Jefferson parish, just two miles north of the
Mississippi River.
His parents come from French ancestry and have been living within eyesight of the Mississippi River for as far back as the late 1700′s. Originally both family ancestry are from France, likely the western coastal regions near Nantes and/or La Rochelle, France.
After the Great Expulsion of the Acadians between 1755 and 1764 by the British, his mothers ancestral family were among the first to be deported in 1755 southward to the British colonies, where they received only contempt and disdain from the English speaking colonists, but were eventually able to make their way to Spanish held Louisiana.
The same Great Expulsion resulting in his father ancestral family being deported back to France in 1758, where he waited until he could obtain passage on a ship bound for Louisiana.
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WHEN AUBREY was in the navy, he met, married Maybelle and soon after they had their first child Frederick, named after the child′s grandfather.
After Aubrey′s navy tour ended, he used his military benefits to begin attending Tulane University in New Oleans, from which he received a degree in chemical engineering. During his last year of school, their second child, Tommy was born, named after his great uncle.
When Tommy was not yet one year old, his parents left New Orleans, taking both of their young children away from family, friends and their familiar home to move to another state. Aubrey had graduated from Tulane University and after applying for work, he received his first full time engineering position in the state of Texas, in the small north panhandle town of Borger.
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AT THIRTEEN, he joins the Boy Scouts and comes to love camping, especially in the east Texas woodlands. As a youth, during the summer, Tommy has ample opportunity to play ball, go camping, ride his bike and hike. He would hike to the Lynchburg ferry on the San Jacinto river and go camping with the Scouts at Double Lake, Camp Strake, El Rancho Cima and other places.
He does well in drafting classes in high school, receiving top awards at regional and state competition in architecture and decides to pursue architecture. After graduating from Deer Park High School in 1968, he studies Architecture at the university. However, after the first year, he is so done with being in school that he leaves the university and finds work in construction and begins to learn the trade of, as he calls it, throwing a hammer.
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Some time after that, he meets Becky Rose who becomes the focus of his life and later, they do marry. However, this was a time of national unrest with the war that was raging in southeast Asia.
Too, the nation began drafting its combatants from citizens born from 1944 to 1950 and since Tommy was born in 1950, he was included in those that could be drafted.
To continue reading this Story, please click on the First Journeys Link.
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THROUGHOUT HIS YOUTH, Tommy had ventured away from his home in Pasadena, Texas, traveling to other places in distant locations, first within Texas, then to nearby states, and with the most recent adventure, that of traveling to the National Jamboree in Moraine State Park north or Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, coupled with the week long tour of New England, his inclination for more travel was fully astir.
He begins his preparations for this journey, starting about a year before his proposed departure date and begins to compose an entry in his journal delineating all that he must needs do in order to be able to walk away from his home here in Texas and take on this new life journey, one that he would begin afoot exploring this land so as to learn more about its geography, the people and to possibly find the path has been reading about in the Bible.
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Come
Join the Journey
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Come Join the Journey
To read more of Tommy Michel′s story, his search for meaning in life, please download the book The Wayfarers Journal, Journey to Katahdin, now available Free, only on this website at:
The Wayfarers Store.
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Go back to Wayƒarer Passage, click on the down arrow.
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Thank you for visiting
The Wayƒarers Journal.
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See Ya above the Treeline!
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This Page Last Updated: 30 September 2024
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