I’ve lived eighty years and experienced much of what is written in this book. Some really happened and some are the figments of my very fertile imagination. It’s about love, life, and death. It’s also about living in and around Charleston, South Carolina, during and after World War II. It’s about fishing in the rivers and lakes, which, at that time, were teeming with fish and other wildlife. It’s funny, it’s profound, and it’s thought provoking, perhaps influenced to a large extent by the writings of the great Lewis Grizzard. It’s about laughing and crying with my friends—many times about myself. As Mr. Shakespeare said, “Laugh and the world laughs with you . . . cry and you cry alone.” So enjoy this book as we go through life smiling together.