Outskirts Press, INC.

Being the youngest child in an Irish household, Patrick O’Connor knew there was no way he’d get a word in edgewise at the family dinner table. So he turned to writing, creating a three-page poem at age seven his parents distributed through the family Christmas card, and enjoying the encouragement of his third-grade teacher, who had a special place in her heart for poetry (thank you, Mrs. Jones). He put his finely tuned listening skills (remember– youngest child in Irish household) to good use, working as a school and college counselor for over 40 years, a job that required a lot of professional writing. Since 2011, he’s written a weekly column on counseling issues for the online magazine High School Counselor Week, including one piece that is credited for playing a role in advancing Michelle Obama’s interest in school counseling. He tried to do personal writing now and then, always finding time to write a poem for each family member every Saint Nicholas Day, when it was tucked in their shoes, along with an orange and a few other goodies. Once school counseling stopped, he thought he’d try writing about other things. This is the printed version of the first one hundred efforts of that work. You can find more stories and poems, and get the latest stories sent to your email for free each week, at sixoclocksky.com. Families interested in affordable help with the college application process can go to collegeisyours.com.