Shores of Purpose: A Runaway’s Life and Rescuer’s Journey in Hawaii

Shores of Purpose: A Runaway’s Life and Rescuer’s Journey in Hawaii

About

Shores of Purpose – A Runaway’s Life and Rescuer’s Journey in Hawaii is the true story of award-winning writer Steven A. Martin who fled a troubled home life in the American Rust Belt at age 15, seeking refuge and solace on the Island of Hawaii, where he found family in nature.

Living off the land in a remote valley on the island’s wild northeast coast (pictured), he learned to survive on his own, experiences which provided him with a vivid sense of freedom and discovery.

The ocean inspired Steven’s journey of self-healing and extraordinary learning adventures in Hawaii and California, first as a surfer, then as a professional lifeguard.

The book is an enjoyable nicely written source of inspiration for readers of all ages.

Preface

I wrote this book to try to share the sense of discovery and freedom I gained from running away from an troubled home in Ohio, at age 15, and learning to survive on my own in Hawai’i.

It was a beautiful experience, living with nature, learning to surf the waves and to surf life. I eventually became a professional life-saver as an ocean lifeguard, and then a surfing instructor to celebrities, astronauts and movie stars, before moving on to travel to other countries and do other things.

All the stories in this book series are drawn from my own memory and handwritten journals from my early life in Hawai’i in my teens and twenties. It was a long time ago, and I may have misremembered some of the details, but my memory is still pretty clear, and as far as I can, I’ve been accurate to my memories.

I hope that younger readers can benefit from my life journey and the lessons learned along the way – and that my work can also serve as an enjoyable reminder to older adults of their own youthful experiences, feelings, and dreams.

I’ve tried to use simple American English and write in the most straightforward way I can, to make the story as fun and friendly as possible for native and non-native English speakers alike.

I hope you enjoy reading it almost as much as I enjoyed living it.

–Steven A. Martin