Читать книгу Tower Hill - John W Trexler - Страница 6

Above: American chestnut (Castanea dentate)

In early 1968, my father retired from the Navy and we moved to Barrington, Rhode Island, between my junior and senior year of high school. Little of importance happened until I went off to college in late August of 1969, except perhaps my many failed attempts to get into college.

I had come to the conclusion that I needed to grow up, learn a trade and get on with life. I decided I wanted to be an architect and applied to the University of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island School of Design, Drexel Institute, Pratt Institute, and the University of Massachusetts. One by one, I received polite letters of rejection. In 1969 you had two choices, college or Vietnam. My father didn’t want me to go into the military and I didn’t want to go to Vietnam.

My father suggested I go have a talk with my guidance counselor. Mr. Coen was aware of my five rejections and we both concluded that it was unlikely that I would become an architect. He asked what else I enjoyed doing. After some quiet thought, I answered, “Gardening.”

“Ah, horticulture,” he responded.

“Horti what?” I asked.

He explained that horticulture was, in fact, gardening and suggested I apply to a school in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, that offered a major in it. He handed me the course catalog for Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture and sent me on my way. I was to return the next day and tell him my impression of the school. After I showed my parents the catalog, I went to my room to read it cover to cover. I knew, or at least thought I knew, that I wanted to major in what was called ornamental horticulture. The next day my counselor called the college admissions office and described my interest in ornamental horticulture. Delaware Valley accepted me over the phone. All I had to do was go through the formality of the application process. A week later I graduated from Barrington High.

Summer went by quickly. I was occupied by my job as a hospital janitor and on days off sailed with my sister on Narragansset Bay. I dreamed of escaping to college.

When college began the last week of August 1969, I was determined to make new friends and be part of a like-minded family.