Surrounding Sparky

The story of one man's journey to unearth his roots while navigating the complexities of a 1950s adoption, told through the backdrop of American history, raising a young family and the advent of social media and modern DNA testing. Serendipitous twists and turns are all part of how the author pieces together answers around nature vs. nurture, understanding self, and connection with all types of family.
Malorie Lucich-Senior Media Writer

Prologue
Life's mission is long but seems to go by in an instant.
Disputes over religion, namely between Protestants and Catholics, have diminished over the years. But oh, not too long ago-- what a big deal it was! That dispute changed the orbit of my life.
As a transition observer and participant, I had a bird's eye view into the world of sales and sales management and how the landscape changed because of technology. My experiences-difficulties, successes, and failures, provide the backdrop for this story. And there has never been a dull moment!
My adoption at birth was always pretty much of a non-issue for me. Later, at age 67, urged by my wife and children, I found my birth family-the result of modern DNA science and technology. There really were siblings and my birth mother out there for me to meet. I did always want to thank my birth mother for giving me life. I was fortunate to have that chance. What a roller coaster of emotion that all was!
There is an interesting legal saga between the sealing of adoption records to protect privacy and the rights of adoptees to learn about what is in those records. And that saga still exists today in much of the U.S.
Young folks today have no way to imagine using a public pay phone in a phone booth, looking at a twelve-inch square TV, listening to a transistor radio or living without a smart phone and computer.
World War II shows up in the history books and on documentaries. As more veterans from that great war pass, so do the horrible recollections of folks like Art and Marge, my mom and dad, who lived through it. Art's war trauma provided an opportunity-for me to become their son.