Why!

Do you believe the two greatest days in your life are the day you are born and the day you understand why? Scottish theologian William Barclay did and so do the unique individuals you will meet in this non-fiction work by author and sports photojournalist Jerry Norton. Reasons Why is a collection of engaging essays of people in diverse fields who understand their purpose in life. Among them are a National Football League star and his wife who shaped genetic research for an orphan disease that would claim the life of their son. You will meet a Japanese American who lived through the 1945 atomic bomb explosion on Hiroshima and a survivor of US Airways' FL 1549 Miracle on the Hudson. There is an improv actor teaching communication skills to doctors and a landscaper turned ballroom dance instructor. The military is represented by a naval aviator who endured 8 months as a Vietnam prisoner of war in the "Hanoi Hilton" and a double amputee Wounded Warrior turned yoga instructor. Special sections are devoted to fallen war heroes and heroes from the 9/11 terrorist attack.

About the Author

Stephen G (Jerry) Norton is an 87-year old veteran with a wide-ranging career and a unique perspective on life. A two-year stint in the US Army Signal Corp during the Korean War gave Jerry a front row seat for the 1953 hydrogen bomb tests in the Marshall Islands. Then, armed with a degree in electrical engineering from Columbia University, he spent the next 40 years developing sophisticated radar systems for the US Navy and US Air Force. This took him to worldwide destinations including Israel, Japan, Singapore, France, and England.
He retired at age 62 then launched a second 24-year career as a sports photojournalist, earning assignments covering the sports spectrum from professional football, golf, and tennis to high school and youth league competitions. Much of his leisure time was spent mentoring children in their sports of choicehis greatest pleasure coming as a coach of Special Olympic athletes and wheelchair-bound tennis players. An anthology of his poems, capturing precious moments during a sports season, are cherished by former players and parents. Still, he had time to write three other booksMom Can I Play Football?, Unintended ConsequencesHow Adults Took the Fun Out of Youth Sports and Live a Lot, Learn a LittleAn Autobiographical Memoir. Oil painting now serves as therapy for the unrelenting miseries of old age.

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