This is a story about a boy named Patrick, born in the American heartland during the Great Depression. His story covers his formative years, from a ten-year-old boy to a young man of thirty. This fictitious novel is inspired by actual events and experiences from the lives of the author and others. Patrick is a fighter who learns to fight more effectively with words, but he never loses his fighting spirit. He becomes a scholar after learning the value and importance of education from his father, a man who had to earn money and was unable to finish high school yet was committed to a lifetime of self education through reading. Patrick loves God but often feels unworthy until God touches his heart and sets him on the path of "Pursuing the One Thing Necessary." We are all on this path, whatever we may believe. Don't get lost in the weeds!