One purpose of this memoir is to describe to my sons Matthew and Alexander, granddaughters Sophia and Juliet, and any future grandchildren the driving forces that determined my destiny. I have often toyed with the idea of writing my memoir, but the writing would never have happened if not for the deaths of my father, Jim, in 2002; mother, Ruby, in 2006; beloved twin brother, Larry, in 2008; and treasured wife, Edith, in 2009. I realized that the memories of these special people would be lost forever if I did not commit them to paper as soon as possible. Our lives are finite, and our accomplishments seem ephemeral. Thus, in comparison to the seemingly ageless universe, the details of our lives appear to be mere vanity.