Michael Fleckenstein:  

Please forgive me for this test of the patience of those who proceed to read the following. Kalamazoo MI 2020 WHY When reaching this point in life it is natural to feel the need to reconnect with those from our past many of whom we have not connected with since the day we walked out of the RP doors one last time. Having read many of your own stories (the writing of which is a brave act on its own) I felt it only fair to share the path my life has taken. FIRST STEPS Upon leaving RP I was destined to be either a successful artist or famous musician. It never quite worked out that way but the ride has been just as interesting. After RP there were a couple years at MCC then on to Wisconsin state U and finally central mi. During my time at CMU I spent 9 months as the resident artist on Michigan Art Train¿s (now art train USA) 1971 inaugural tour then graduating in 1972. Once out of school I bounced around from Muskegon to Gaylord and then Boyne City where I spent a couple years teaching youngsters how to ski at Boyne Mtn. From there it was on to Traverse City where I went to work for Milliken¿s Department Stores as visual merchandising director (closest thing to an art career I would ever get.) It was during this time I married an old North Muskegon love, Chris Grimm. Together we have two wonderful daughters Meghan and Kristen now grown with their own life stories. We left TC when I took a job for a retail design and construction firm in Detroit where I cut my teeth in that world. CULTURE SHOCK¿ from Traverse to Detroit¿ WHAT WAS I THINKING¿? As bad as this move sounds in 1980 it worked out we were on our way to Portland Oregon for a new adventure out west. TIME IN 5/23/20, turned 71 today. Portland is an awesome city, an hour to the pacific and an hour to mount hood snow where we could ski year round. Lived there for 3 years (1980-1983). In the fall of 1983 we moved to Seat...Expand for more