When I think about the story of my life I realize the most important ingredients are provided in the beginning; I've been blessed to have lived a life populated with people from a diverse array of backgrounds from a young age. Reading was the place I first place my family had a home in England; Liverpool, however, seemed far more my home due to the people there who enriched my life in so many ways. Some of my fondest memories are a clothing store in downtown Liverpool where my relations congregated. The air was typically stuffy in this locality; dust was often seen floating in the air; countering this murkiness, were plenty of smiles, handshakes, and shillings quietly tucked in a back pocket, that could brighten even the dreariest rainy day. My Grandmother and Auntie Jessie visited here often, and would chat while they sipped cups of tea and nibbled away on biscuits. I remember my Uncle Jackie whose cheeks were always the colour red, whether he was laughing, smiling, or disheartened; these were people I loved being around, and treasured the opportunity to listen to their stories, and I always knew they valued my company. It has been always been gestures of kindness that have left the greatest impression on me; they remind me of the goodness others have to offer and are willing to display. Around the age of five I moved to a village called Silverstone, situated in the county of Northamptonshire, but I remained captivated by my trips to my relations in Liverpool. I traveled to nearby villages and towns, and saw my mother's friends, and Uncle Graham, and his wife, Joyce. I'll never forget a lady who had the last name, Mermaid; she led the Boy-scouts I joined, and gave us swimming lessons while wearing a rubber dingy around her waist. The sight was the furthest thing I can imagine from that of an angelic oceanic creature, and I always had to restrain laughing out loud each time she paraded about this way. No matter where I'm situated, or the trials I'm facing, I've always found things to amuse me, and I like to remember the humorous spectacles that have populated my past. These are the experiences that have left the greatest impressions on my mind. The person I have become has not been so much due to the books I've read, or the places I've been, but rather the people I've known. The names of those who have left momentous impressions on me are so many I can only remember a small portion. Many I know have passed away, but, I hope, wherever they may be, they know how much they mean to me, and realize how much they helped me to become me. I consider all my formative years to have transpired in Britain, and no matter where I am, my heart remains in her land.
About the Author: The author was given the name, Nigel, at birth, a very common name in Britain, and seven days later conforming to Jewish custom, a circumcision ceremony was performed and he was given both the Hebrew name Tovia and the Yiddish equivalent Tevia, both names imply the blessings and goodness that God bestows. In later years whilst living in Israel he adopted the Hebrew name Eitan, which implies stoicism and impetuousness. All these terms, expressions, are a reflection of his nature. He has depth and complexity, but can display banality, depending on his mood, or the time of day. Due to fate, circumstance, destiny, (whatever term deemed appropriate), over recent years he has not just engaged in a battle with himself in order to become fully actualized, but also a nation called, Canada. He admits that he neither wanted, nor desired, many things that have encroached on the lifestyle he sought to acquire for himself, but by conquering each obstacle placed in his path, he managed to realize himself in a span of time previously never imagined possible, and as a consequence, figured out why the world is in the state it is now. His life has been filled with great struggles, from early childhood onward, and the education he has provided himself is primarily the result of questioning, wanting to better understand, why people behave the way they do, and how certain circumstances arise. Time, history, existence, can be viewed as a story; a story is written with words, and the combination, synthesis, of these words formulates ideas. A story concludes when enough ideas have been coordinated to reveal the design, purpose, and reasoning, behind a plot. If a new beginning is upon us, and time can be contracted by the formulation of ideas, and Nigel Shindler's book is seen as an amalgamation of the primary concepts that have formulated the history of human civilization; it is mankind alone that is responsible for this occurrence. Max Shindler co-wrote all the books under the pen name, Nigel Shindler.