I was born Glenn William Boaz, Jr. in Topeka, Kansas on May 3, 1934 and have awakened under a Kansas sky every morning of my life except for two years in the U.S. Navy, and while traveling within the States and overseas. I grew up being called Skippy from a newspaper cartoon character from back in the 1930's. I later changed it to Scipio but everybody still calls me Skip. Scipio was the Roman General who defeated Hannibal. I grew up like most kids grow up in the depression and World War II eras, going to school while Dad worked hard driving a furniture truck and Mom took care of the house and the four kids and ironed shirts for 10 cents apiece.
I tried college but found that I couldn't work and attend college at the same time and gave it up after three years. Suddenly I received a draft notice from Selective Service telling me to report to Kansas City for a physical and then I would be drafted into the U.S. Army. But since I had served 4 years in the U.S. Navy Reserves, I opted to go on active duty thus avoiding going through boot camp again and besides I got warm meals and a warm bed.
So, I wound up in San Francisco waiting for "my ship to come in." It did and it turned out to be the USS Esteem, MSO 438, a minesweeper. I arrived at Long Beach as the ship's Yeoman in charge of the Ship's Office, even though I was not a Yeoman but rather a Personnelman Interviewer. But I was soon off to Japan via Hawaii and Midway, and 27 days later I arrived in Yokosuka, Japan an experienced sailor. I spent much of 1957 bouncing around the Pacific making port at several places in Japan as well as Hong Kong and Formosa, now called Taiwan. I earned $117 a month.
I borrowed money to buy a Bolex 8mm movie camera while I was in the Navy, and I also bought a cheap 35mm camera that I took black and white still photos with. I enjoyed taking pictures before I became a sailor and I still enjoy it to this day. I really need to take pictures and the digital world we now live in has certainly made picture taking more fun, more creative, and has made it a lot easier to share with others. And, I suppose, gives us something that won't curl up and fade to leave behind for others when we are gone. Photography is definitely art, in my opinion.
From the late 1950's until now, I have lived a lifetime. I retired 5 years ago from the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources where I was in charge of all personnel activities as well as chief fiscal officer. I had previously worked as a layout artist at a yearbook company for several years but found it too repetitious and confining.
I still live in Kansas, north of the Topeka city limits, where we built a house 18 years ago within 3 acres of trees with just enough cleared areas that I have a vegetable garden and numerous flower gardens and a swimming pool. We have enough lawn area that a tractor is necessary to keep the grass mowed. The situation was planned so that there would be plenty of things to do outdoors rather than sitting indoors watching TV and becoming vegetables ourselves. I share this place with my wife, Betsy, and our daughter Jennifer. When Jennifer was born I was 47 years old and my wife was 38. Betsy is also retired from the state, but helps out during the Legislative Session at the Kansas Statehouse here in Topeka, a four months a year job during the winter. She assists a House Representative as he works to improve the lives of we fellow Kansans.
Jennifer is completing college this fall at Washburn University, the same Topeka college I attended. She will have a double degree in History and Elementary School Education. She plans to continue her education while teaching school and eventually become a university professor.
I have three sons from a previous marriage. One has taught English in Japan for about ten years. One lives near Raleigh, North Carolina where he and his wife gave me my first and only grandchild, so far, last fall. A third son lives here in Topeka and works for the State of Kansas. Betsy considers them her kids too, for nearly 30 years now.
My life now centers around my wife and daughter, of course, and I continue to take pictures and play golf. I have a fairly extensive reading library that I am always adding to. I have an eclectic collection of books with emphasis on Western U.S. History, The Art of Writing, Poetry, Biblical History, and I have a collection of old books. The oldest I have was printed in 1809 and I'm still trying to find one from the 1700's that I can afford. I enjoy collecting books about the Transcendentalists, such as Emerson, Thoreau, and the Alcotts, especially in the Concord, Massachusetts area. I also collect books about Virginia Woolf and the other Bloomsbury folks for some strange reason that I'm not sure of. I guess I think it is okay to be different.
Betsy and I travel as much as we can and have been as far as the Holy Lands, Egypt, and England. Jennifer traveled with us. We plan to continue visiting as many far away places as we can as well as exploring the whole of our own country over and over. I have been in all states except Alaska and Louisiana. We plan to visit them soon.
Well, that is about it. And the above is just about what I am, I think.
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