Dear Lyle,
I am at a loss of words to descibe how i felt after reading your post. But to sum it all up, your post has been the most humane, most compelling and most touching post i have ever read all thorughout this forum.
What i would like to say here, is that no matter what our circumstances in life are, still i think that everybody deserves a second chance. Life on this earth is always a constant struggle, so for those who are in the right path, well and good, but to those who have stumbled, get up, fight and live on.
Happy retirement, Capt Lyle, and may you live long and continue to inspire more people.
Wishing you bright and blue skies ahead. Merry Christmas!
Expat