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Bill learned this lesson the hard way. The metallurgical
engineer, who spent 27 years with Union Carbide (six
in South Africa), turned 58 in 1995 and was quite comfortable
with his life in Danbury, CT. He owned a successful
business, Strategic Minerals Corporation, had a great
35-year marriage, and his three grown kids were leading
productive lives. Bill's vision of a second half contribution
was to serve as an elder of his church. God's repeated
nudging for Bill to return to the inner city, where
he grew up without a father, was swatted away like a
pesky fly.
But what a fly doesn't accomplish, a 13-foot crocodile
certainly can. While in Africa to celebrate their 35th
anniversary, Bill and his wife, Kathie, decided to canoe
the Zambezi River. Although Kathie had encouraged Bill
to take canoe lessons prior to the trip, he opted for
the "training on the river prior to departure" mentioned
in the tour brochure.
"The training lasted five minutes ('This is the Zambezi
River. Be careful entering and leaving the canoe.'),"
recalls Bill with a laugh. |
