"A life of service is a life well and greatly lived."
― Omoakhuana Anthonia
Having begun my writing career in my mid-sixties, I never ran short of life experiences to write about. Where younger writers face the dreaded "writer's block," the advice "Write about what you know," is often marginally helpful. It has worked for me. I have built this book around things I have done, ideas I have had, and emotions I felt strongly about. It contains some of my favorite poems written in my first twenty years of writing as well as many relatively new unpublished works. The latter category includes responses to the devastating impact of losing my loving partner of more than sixty-three blessed years of marriage. Those wounds are indeed deep and lasting.
My years in the Emerson Society of Williamsburg produced numerous essays on a variety of topics. Several were written from research conducted on U.S. Navy history - a favorite topic of mine. Others included leadership training, risky childhood experiences, golfing exploits, and English language peculiarities. However, Part 4 of the book contains six essays detailing actual experiences I had as a Navy officer. I needed no notes to write these essays; the events are still permanently etched in my mind - fifty years later.
One advantage of taking up writing as a third career is that I fully intended to remain active and productive in retirement and I enjoy writing. So now, with the freedom to do so, I could put to use my leadership and management skills gained through 20 years as a Navy officer followed by 20 years of executive positions in business. has contributed immeasurably to the joys and fulfillment of my retirement goals.
I have known and worked with wonderful people throughout my life; I have love for all and ill will toward none. I am truly blessed.
Edward Lull was born in Pennsylvania and grew up in Upstate New York. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in the Class of 1955. His first career was as a Naval Officer with duty primarily in submarines. He earned a masters degree from The George Washington University in 1969. He retired from the Navy as Commander, USN in 1975. After retirement from the Navy, in his second career he served in management and executive positions in small hi-tech companies in the Washington, D.C. area. His final position was President and Chairman of the Board of a non-profit company, The Professional Group, sponsored by The George Mason University. Ed began a third career as a writer at age 65. He is a former member of the Williamsburg Poetry Guild and The Williamsburg Poetry Workshop. He taught a Beginning Poetry Workshop for the Christopher Wren Association for three years. In 2008, he founded the poetry workshop, James City Poets, that continues operating today. In 1999, Ed joined the Poetry Society of Virginia and served four terms as its President and ten years as an Executive Director. He initiated the Poetry in the Schools program, working with Virginia Association of Teachers of English (V.A.T.E.) to promote the study of poetry, both reading and writing, in Virginia's schools. Ed attended and presented poetry programs at the annual V.A.T.E. Conference and presented poetry programs to numerous secondary schools throughout the Commonwealth. In 2012, Ed was presented the inaugural Emyl Jenkins Award "...for inspiring a love of writing and writing education in Virginia."
