Curtis DeForestI was in Phil Hagemann’s Huntington/Huntington Station group from 1976-1982. Starting out as a rambunctious teen then becoming a leader (a very small distinction indeed) in YFC as well as Youth Focus—modeled after YFC to serve Catholic youth of Long Island and which I helped start.
In a nutshell; I would not be who I am if not for the insistence on the part of Jack Crabtree and Phil Hagemann that I was worth not just "something" but, that Christ had died to forgive my sins which were inevitable as a result of being human. The other great truth about which they challenged us to contemplate was how GOD DOES NOT MAKE JUNK; it is our life’s work to discover in which way God has made each of us unique and skilled. Heavy, but, understandable: they convinced me that I was good and while I was young, to start the habits of introspection and seeking answers from God through prayer. My favorite part of each year in YFC; besides the atmosphere of trust and love they created, was the BICYCLE TRIPS. I found a calling as a bicycle mechanic, I learned a little about who ME was. Currently I live/work in East Hampton, New York with my wife Susan of 20 years. I am six years sober in Alcoholics Anonymous. It was God who drew me back; I had gotten carried away, unaware of my allergy, and would have been lost if not for the nagging belief I was special and valuable. I am a carpenter, an Inventor and musician; wearing many hats for East Hampton-ers is typical. I am a member of an A.A. group and believe in service to other recoverers as well as the global community in which we live. One of our greatest gifts from God is our planet, we can only thank him by being its stewards, we knew but ignored what they were telling us about the need for ecology all along. My invention, the HyperBike is a patented green safe and Sustainable, green road vehicle with no carbon footprint....Google it! |  Curtis DeForest circa 1979 |
