Author - Dog Whisper of Great Danes & others - Gambler
Observer of Human and Animal Nature
In 2015, Richard scratched a lottery ticket in MA and supposedly won a million dollars. I say, "Supposedly" because the take-home pay was considerably less. Still, his winnings allowed him buy a house in Maine, and take a break from carpentry to finish writing the book; Saving Papa's Tales (a father, a son, & the dog who knew more). The dog was one of his Great Danes who's name was Baby. Among other activities, Richard continues to share what he has learned as a dog whisperer.
Curiously, more people seemed interested in Richard's gambling accomplishment and his subsequent appearance on National TV, than they did about his becoming a published author. However, Richard said he did get many favorable comments about his watercolor painting of the Great Dane on the cover. "Most people are drawn-in when there are pictures of dogs on the cover of a book," Richard said.
After Richard appeared on HGTV's My Lottery Dream Home, the Maine Attraction (season 3, episode 12) people at gas stations and in the supermarkets of Rockland, ME began to recognize him. And once he confirmed that he was indeed the Richard they had seen on TV, most always the questions were about the show and the gambler. Almost no one seemed very interested about his having spent 24 years as a carpenter/writer/poet, writing a book with his Papa on family dynamics and aging.
When I asked Richard if the lack of interest about his authorship bothered him, he replied, "Not terribly. More people can relate to scratching a winning ticket than they can relate to writing a book; that is just human nature I suppose. However, I heard somewhere that there is at least one good book in each of us."
Grey hair, gray beard, words are weird without your editor keeping track of the spelling I lack!