I was a role model for shit-birds everywhere. Thus begins my story, a tale of a young boy-a loner-hated by thugs, feared by foes, respected by peers. I walked the wild side, searching for answers without knowing the questions. I learned life’s lessons the hard way.I walked a dirt path, armed with a sword in my front pocket, and a potion in the back; a magic elixir that opened many doors to the dark side-eventually the very gates of Hell.I could have lived the life of Riley, had I chosen to take Easy Street. Instead, I chose to walk The Franklin Trail, a name I gave to the nightmarish path of alcoholism, mental illness, crime, violence and dysfunctional families. A trail I thought I walked by my myself- I now know that I was never alone.This is my story, told to the best of my recollection; with the help of a vivid imagination and forty-plus years of sobriety.