It should have been an idyllic childhood, having up on a ranch in the oak grassland of rural Santa Barbara County, California. But having a father who was a harsh disciplinarian and being unable to concentrate in school were constant sources of anxiety and low self-esteem. Mark's connection with Nature and horses helped him get through the difficult days, and later, returning from Vietnam with PTS, those connections were his lifeline as he struggled to find balance.
His is a story of love, forgiveness and gratitude. It is the story of a man who made a life unlike most, including careers as a cowboy, a journalist and a trail designer/builder. It is a story of persistence in the face of adversity, of never giving up.
Above all, it is a love story, love for another person, but also love of Nature, and of friends who enriched his life.
When he was twelve his family relocated to Oregon, where they had bought a ranch in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. It was an isolated area - the only other residence nearby was the general store and post office across the road - but he grew to love the mountains, and his horse helped him as he endured the angst of being a teenager in a new high school with a dramatically different culture. A year after arriving in Oregon the store was bought by a couple who had a daughter, Chloe, who was a year behind him in school. When he was in college they became a couple, then split up before he went off to Vietnam, where he served as a photojournalist in the Navy.
After returning from Vietnam his self-medication with alcohol and marijuana continued to descend into frustration and anxiety, and a sense of hopelessness. He had never found a love as close to what he had with Chloe, and one morning his desperation left him on the verge ending his life.
He chose instead to take responsibility for his happiness, a decision that led to a reunion with his high school sweetheart. Chloe's love and support helped him find healthier coping mechanisms. His third career, trail design and construction, came after they moved to the Sonoran Desert. Their love continued to blossom until pancreatic cancer took her, leaving him to find his way alone once again.
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