SAFE HARBOR A BOY’S STORY Each of us has a story to tell, and this is Bill Reed’s. It’s a story of a boy growing up in a dysfunctional family in WWII, and the struggle to find his way as a teen and young man in the fifties. As children, we’re molded by others and our surroundings. Those special early years should be the happiest of our lives, but too often we’re saddled with the baggage of others and pass it on to those we love. Bill didn’t understand what was happening in those years. Parents provide food, clothing and a place to play. That’s what matters when you’re ten. He didn’t know any better than what he was exposed to. His father’s drunken sprees, constant arguing between parents in a loveless marriage, and mind games played at their children’s expense seemed normal to him. They weren’t, and as Bill tells his family’s story, he shows how an uncaring father affected their lives. This is my father’s story, filled with humor and anecdotes that bring nostalgic memories to anyone who lived in those years. But it is also a study in human nature and a tragic tale of wasted lives. With determination, my dad overcame his troubled childhood, and his own children were richer for it, because he gave to them the kind of love he never received. Lisa Bailey Guidance Counselor Bill Reed tells his story with candor and clarity, and his readers cannot help being moved by it and learning from it. James Gray Editor