"Odyssey"
Part I
Allen was not a fortunate man. He never was handed things in life, be it means to live, support, love or intelligence. So he obtained them himself, through hard work, determination and self esteem. But this driving force, something that has been know to give men the strength to endure almost anything, can be broken. When someone is so beaten down time and time again, it will wane. When everything they knew is turned upside down, shaken, and dropped on its head, it staggers. When the one thing he holds dear in his life is torn away from him, his driving force, whatever it maybe, can shatter. This happened to Allen but its not a dark stormy ending for him. Yet it's a different kind of happy ending.
Growing up in South Florida might seem fun, laid back and carefree to some, mostly those not from there. In many ways it was, almost always sunny, 85 degrees and always summer. But to Allen, it was like anywhere else in the US for a kid growing up. He encountered more than his fair share of bullies. He was a bit of a recluse, not opening up to anyone. His parents just couldn't explain it. He excelled in his studies, namely math and science. He played on the school's hockey team and bonded well with his teammates, even becoming the team's captain, but he was a stoic leader. Almost like he did not like it but accepted the role because he was the best. In high school, he continued to excel academically and pressed on as the hockey captain although still reluctantly. His social life was next to nil outside the team and finally his parents decided it was time to get the boy tested, or at least talk to someone professional. The psychologists were amazed at his brilliance but they saw no real reason for alarm or worry about Allen's poor social abilities. Dumb founded his parents simply settled on that he was a quite genius, life many before him. Perhaps, they thought, he would be the next Einstein, or Hawking.
Graduating high school saw him receive several invitations from many prestigious schools all across the globe for him to attend their classes. Allen had to make a choice, to leave home and pursue a life of his own, while he had next to no social abilities, a daunting task to anyone, including him. His parents asked him what he wanted in life, what he wanted to be remembered for.
As a child Allen was entranced by the mystical spectacle that was spaceflight, and human exploration of space. His father would often take him out to nearby Kennedy Space Center to watch the ending Space Shuttle Program, and the newer Space Launch System rockets. All through high school he would occasionally skip class to ride a bus to Cocoa Beach and observe a launches. During the first manned launch of the Orion spacecraft something finally clicked in his head, he knew what he wanted to do, what he would strive for. This brought tears to the young man's eyes. This was it. He was going to explore space.
After graduation, when his parents posed him the question as to what he wanted to do in life he told them of the life altering moment he had those years ago. He told them he would seek help for his social problems so he could survive on his own while at college. The next few years he worked several jobs to save for college and went for the help he so desperately wanted. This was the beginning to his self-esteem, his hard workmanship and incredible determination. 3 years later he left southern Florida for a prestigious college just outside of Washington D.C and the beginning to life on his own.