It is a 900-mile drive to Sierra Vista, Arizona, from Morrison, Colorado. During the trip I had ample time to think about various issues running through my head.

I have been influenced by many people, much of what I have read, and particularly my nomadic lifestyle. All my life I have traveled, even in my former occupations. I love to travel; I am a vagabond, a wanderer, a rolling stone. I am a scamp, born under a wandering star, and I don’t know if I will ever stop!

Many years ago, I read an interesting book by Lin Yutong that materially and mentally changed my thinking. It was after several readings of his book "The Importance of Living" that I began to become more aware of who I am. I placed an earring in my left ear to commemorate this new awakening.

You see, many of my beliefs were handed down to me by various people trying to influence my life, my parents, teachers, doctors, clergy, employers, friends and, of course, politicians all had an impact on the beliefs I held and lived by. They all had good intentions.

However, after careful thought, I discovered many of these beliefs were not mine; yet I had been carrying this burden for most of my adult life. It was then I decided to throw them off like an old rag.

Modern men take life much too seriously, creating more problems than they’re worth. In my senior years, I am much more careful about taking on new beliefs. I now believe the world can be made a more peaceful and more reasonable place if only more humans would just lighten up.

All my life I have been so busy chopping wood, I had no time to sharpen the ax. It was time for me to seriously examine the origin of my attitudes and begin to enjoy life more wholeheartedly. Thus, I joined 3 million others that travel the country full-time.

Me…. well I’m a scamp, and in this present day of threats to democracy and liberties I believe only scamps will survive. A scamp will never accept the bondage of the masses, a disciplined, rigid, obedient and regimented lifestyle. The good Lord knew what he was doing when he created the scamp, a brilliant creature but a scamp nonetheless.

Tyrants and elitists have always had a problem with free-spirited, open-minded scamps; their attitudes towards independence and freedom are formidable obstacles. Scamps are champions of human dignity, truth, self-determination and liberty; they will be the last to fall in line with the masses, the last to be conquered, if at all.

Recognizing I am a full-fledged scamp I no longer fear speaking out. It doesn’t matter who hears or agrees with me. I believe it is better to speak out than to remain silent like so many and live a life of foolish passion of the spirit.

I refuse to hold antiquated beliefs of life within me, as many are still floating around out there. I have discovered I have no necessity to bow down to any man, to accept verbal abuse or capricious judgments.

I now know the worth of a day relaxing under a tree, taking an afternoon nap or loafing in childish naiveté as the sun sets in the Western skies. Being a scamp makes life worthwhile, stress free, sane and reasonable.

Come join the millions who refuse "standardization" and live life as scamps.