{"product_id":"9781462863655","title":"A RANGER'S LIFE: TO PARK OR NOT TO PARK, THAT IS THE RECREATION","description":"T. W. Strait was employed by the Missouri State Park Board each summer from 1958  \u003cbr\u003ethrough 1962. He was a college summer day worker for the fi rst year, but became the  \u003cbr\u003eCampground Supervisor for the next four summers. Most of what you will read comes from  \u003cbr\u003emany personal experiences and a bit of creati ve license. He saw so many things happen  \u003cbr\u003ethrough young eyes that have stuck with him for these many years.  \u003cbr\u003eTom met his wife while working at the park and has had a fondness for all memories  \u003cbr\u003econnected with that work experience. He made many friendships while employed there and  \u003cbr\u003efor that reason felt it important to share those experiences with you.  \u003cbr\u003eWhen Tom started working for the Park System at Lake Ozark State Park, he arrived as a  \u003cbr\u003e210 pound, over weight, spoon fed son of an IBM Branch Manager who got the job for him  \u003cbr\u003eduring the Christmas break of 1957, Tom's junior year in high school. Mowing his dad's yard  \u003cbr\u003eand watching TV was his only summer interests during previous summers. This summer was  \u003cbr\u003ebe diff erent.  \u003cbr\u003eUpon arriving at the park, Tom was quartered in the back room of the main park offi ce with  \u003cbr\u003ea bunk and with only a refrigerator and a hot plate for appliances. There was no hot water  \u003cbr\u003eheater, so any showers were taken in very cold well water in the basement, or by catching a  \u003cbr\u003eride to the campground six miles away for a hot shower. With no vehicle, Tom depended on  \u003cbr\u003ethe other students with cars, two, to go to town to shop for groceries and other necessiti es.  \u003cbr\u003eThis was a major diff erence in his past lifestyle.  \u003cbr\u003eTom's duti es that fi rst year were to help clean all of the restrooms at the campground,  \u003cbr\u003eswimming beach and picnic shelter. Aft er doing that, he helped haul garbage from each  \u003cbr\u003eof the above locati ons and then hauled wood back to the campers. Once done with those  \u003cbr\u003eprojects, he and the other boys cut grass andwhipped weeds for the rest of each day. Once  \u003cbr\u003ea week he and his co-harts got to run  \u003cbr\u003ethe road, picking up litt er thrown out by thoughtless visitors. That was a 6 mile run in very  \u003cbr\u003ehot and humid weather. Every once in a while he got the privilege of helping pump out the  \u003cbr\u003eout house toilets in the campground and that was an enlightening experience.  \u003cbr\u003eNeedless to say, by summers end, Tom had lost 35 pounds and had really gained some never  \u003cbr\u003ebefore enjoyed muscle tone, as well as had received a very good educati on of what life  \u003cbr\u003ewas really all about. The next 4 years as Supervisor, he assigned duti es to the then 6 extra  \u003cbr\u003estudents and he also collected camp fees. During those 5 years, he gained a real appreciati on  \u003cbr\u003efor life and the feelings of others that has carried with him throughout his later career as a  \u003cbr\u003eMarketi ng Manager.  \u003cbr\u003eAft er graduati ng from Indiana University School of Business in 1963, he married his park  \u003cbr\u003esweetheart and went to work for a major oil company for the next 4 years. He att ained the  \u003cbr\u003eti tle of Senior Sales Representati ve before leaving to go back to Missouri to work with a  \u003cbr\u003esmaller independent oil company as Sales Manager. Here he stayed for the next 40+ years  \u003cbr\u003ehelping build the company to a multi milliondollar concern. He is currently semi-reti red,  \u003cbr\u003eworking three days a week for that company and working the other two days with his son  \u003cbr\u003ein a company they started in 1997 called T \u0026amp; S Distributors, L.L.C. that sells, installs, and  \u003cbr\u003eservices automoti ve equipment.  \u003cbr\u003eTom credits his park experience for much of his business success. It was there he gained fi rst  \u003cbr\u003ehand experience dealing with about every conceivable type of situati on imaginable. The  \u003cbr\u003ewife beati ng, att empted suicide, accidents, lassoing the wounded deer, the lost camper, the  \u003cbr\u003e3 German shepherds, the lost teeth, the couple in the tent, the Clydesdales, and forest fi res  \u003cbr\u003ewere all things in which Tom personally had to become involved. None of the characters  \u003cbr\u003enamed in this book are real or refl ect on anyone he worked with in the park. The comradery,  \u003cbr\u003ehowever, did prevail there throughout his tenure.  \u003cbr\u003eTom's dealings with all park and Park Board personnel were handled in a very positi ve and  \u003cbr\u003eeducati onal manner and he is most grateful to the Board and Mr. Joe Jaeger its Director at  \u003cbr\u003ethe ti me, for giving him the chance of a lifeti me and the job. Tom also dedicates this book to  \u003cbr\u003ehis fi rst Superintendent, Mr. Ned Brown, who died in a truck accident very much like the one  \u003cbr\u003ehis character JJ in the book experienced.  \u003cbr\u003eTom hopes you enjoy these stories as much as he enjoyed experiencing or creati ng them.","brand":"Xlibris Corporation","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47129503891696,"sku":"9781462863655","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781462863655_p0.jpg?v=1763679300","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781462863655","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}