U.P.

To me growing up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was a pretty good experience.  I lived in the country, just outside of a town called Norway, and my brother and I found ways to entertain ourselves and not get into trouble.  As I went through school there were some kids that harassed and bullied me from time to time and just eventually let it go.  My experience is that these kids usually backed off after a while.   I thought that was the advantage of small town life, people had more compassion for each other.  Maybe that wasn't so.  About 90 miles from where I grew up and roughly 9 years later a boy by the name of Ron Reiki was growing up and living in Negaunee Michigan.  Many made their living in the mines in that area and many had rough lives.  Why?  Ron Reiki believes it had to do with depressed communities, long winters, and also a macho mentality.  I can agree with that.  I grew up and always heard that your weren't a man unless you met certain requirements.  The thing is that those requirements changed from one person to another.  I pretended for a while to be that man, eventually I guess I chose to be myself.  My guest this week is Ron "R.A." Reiki who used to live in Negaunee Michigan.  Ron has done many things in his life, completed his education, served in Desert Storm and written some books.  This is his first book to be published.  It is a fictional tale of some young teens living in Negaunee Michigan and dealing with a lot of darkness.  Like many authors Ron may draw from his own experience. How can there be such darkess in small town U.S.A.?  Good question.  My own personal belief is that darkness is drawn to us in many ways.  The use of drugs and alcohol open the door to what I term negative beings.  Once you give up your power it is easy for them to take control.  Is this why alcoholism and other addictions are so hard to kick?  Can these beings hover in an area and effect the attitudes of a community?  Ron doesn't go into that in this book but he does raise some interesting questions.  Plus his book is a very good (adult) read and has gotten the attention of some of those in Hollywood.  So we'll see.  This week it's R.A. Reiki from Florida, on his way to California.