Grand Traverse Insider

life
Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Hearing the Thunder

By JEFFRAY N. KESSLER
Contributing Writer

Local adventurer-author connects passions to experience

TRAVERSE CITY – Not long ago, during a Civil War battlefield reenactment, Frank Slaughter found himself completely transfixed and then transported by his passion for history. It was early in the morning with enough heat in the air to convert the dew on his worn leather boots to spirits of vapor trails.

The encampment was still and quiet but for the occasional rifle reports from soldiers in the distance on picket duty, as they dutifully watched for pending attacks.

Slaughter was alone, and he had what he calls an “ah-ha” moment, familiar to many reenactment veterans.

“All of a sudden your senses are completely surrounded by what could be the real thing,” he recalled. “The hair stands up on the back of your neck, and you feel like you are right in it; that it is all real. You say to yourself, ‘this is it. This is the one.’

“It happened a second time for me when I was surrounded by the smoke from a cannon. All of a sudden the world around me became very small. I could hear and smell horses from the cavalry, and again it became all too certain.”

Frank Slaughter lives his life, constantly searching for those moments. He does not wait for them to come to him. He goes to meet them where they live: in history, in the air, on the water, on the road, in books, orchards, through ancestry and in the written word.

Slaughter defines the pursuit of happiness as “finding something you like and really going after it.”

He explained: “I love to immerse myself, and know as much as I can about a subject or activity. The result is I now have a lifetime of experiences to draw on.”

Early start

These experiences began with an early passion for the Navy. After becoming disenfranchised with the Naval Academy Honor Prep School, he kept the drive alive by coming to Traverse City.

“I saw an article about the Maritime Academy in Traverse City, so I hitchhiked here from the Detroit area. I had no idea where to go or who to see. I just went down to the water. I saw the only ship over by the coal docks, so hitched a ride over there. I approached the dock and dropped my duffle bag. A man approached who was from the academy. He said they were indeed looking for people. He put me up, and the next day I got started. Before long I was on the open seas.”

This early adventure and its feature of total immersion became a romantic blueprint for passions to come. There was sailing, enjoyed and shared with his wife Maureen. Civil War re-enactments (along with motor coach travel) continue to be a passionate interest. A pilot’s license was the result of a new interest and drive. Fly-in picnics have become a favorite for him and a grandson.

“I think this grandson may have the same kind of spirit as me,” Slaughter stated. “He is already learning one of the inspirations of pursuing a passion here, and that is its beauty. Up in the sky, it is such a scenic area; I never get tired of it.”

Other aspects of northern Michigan have provided piques of interest for Slaughter, but, as with others, they don’t languish in a dream or unfulfilled curiosity. He acts, experiences, and most often accomplishes them.

“It’s just always been the way I am. Even as a kid, I would find things and take them apart because I wanted to see how they worked. My mother finally got tired of picking up after me, so she sent me to my room with a bundle of pieces from a model robot. I had to put it back together before I could come out.”

Maybe there is just the right combination of that lesson and the northern Michigan environment that led to the realization of his first apple orchard, beekeeping and a radio show on Interlochen Public Radio (10 a.m. Saturday mornings).

Inspired passion

Inspiration seems to be the spark of passion for Slaughter. It is at the core of his love for English and history, and has resulted in the recent publication of his first book, “Echoes of Distant Thunder” (a Civil War-based novel).

One interest became a breadwinner: the onset of the computer age. Before the personal computer, there were the mammoth main frames, and that is when Slaughter immersed himself, driven by curiosity, into the data processing arena. It eventually led him to a position at Interlochen, where he now serves as the box office manager.

The turn at writing has resulted in a very popular book. Slaughter had never written a book before, but it too is the result of yet another passion.

“Once, I built a model ship. It took me a very long time, but that taught me the discipline I needed to write a book,” he said. “It just seems like you can work for years, and your project doesn’t look like anything, but you just stay focused, and then, all of a sudden it all comes together.”

Passions continue to burn for the new author. Two sequels are in the works, there is a strong desire to travel in this country, and he also mentioned a powerful urge to delve into the history of World War II.

In fact, at the mention of the World War II subject, Slaughter suddenly paused and looked away. There was a tiny glimpse of that spiritual Civil War moment. His eyes seemed to say, “This is it,” and a fresh passion was born.

Slaughter will discuss his Civil War book, “Echoes of Distant Thunder” during Live! @ the Library on Monday, Sept. 19 at the Traverse Area District Library on Woodmere Avenue in Traverse City. The event will take place at 7 p.m. in the McGuire Community Room, is free to the public and sponsored in part by the Friends of the Traverse Area District Library. For more information on TADL programs visit www.tadl.org.

For more about the author, visit www.FrankPSlaughter.com.

Jeff Kessler can be contacted at perkins90@hotmail.com