I was greeted this way one morning as I walked into a new firehouse I had been assigned to for the day. Not the warmest welcome I've ever received, but it made me laugh. And it's a good conversation starter!
I'm Zach. I was born in Montana, and lived in Mississippi, Oklahoma, California, Guam, Mississippi (yes, again!), Virginia, Alaska, Virginia (not the last time yet), Utah, Ohio and Virginia once more. All before I turned 21! Needless to say I'm either the son of gypsies or a military man. If you guessed gypsies, you're incorrect this time but good luck on your next guess! Following my parents around the U.S. and the Pacific as a kid was an experience I don't know if I can ever equal, and I guarantee I'll never forget. I attended 3 high schools: Guam High, Robinson (Fairfax, VA) and Eielson High (Eielson AFB, AK). Having that many travel miles and that many classmates was awesome! I don't know any other word to describe it. Did I get along with everybody, no. I had bullies and was picked on up until high school. It stopped my freshman year, thankfully, but there were still people everywhere I went whom we couldn't see eye to eye. It happens, that's part of life. On the flip side, I made some wonderful friends and acquaintances. (Not to mention getting to date girls from all these places!) I somehow got lucky and had an easy time making friends wherever I went, and I hope one day to get to take my wife and kids to some of those places.
When I was 18 years old, I noticed a very minor tic beginning. It was so minor I thought nothing of it, and nobody else noticed. At 19, I was living in Utah, preparing to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I was learning to speak Tagalog, and was ecstatic to be going to the Philippines. While I was in training, however, the tics exploded and became completely uncontrollable. My two year mission was cut down to 9 weeks and I was sent home to figure out what was going on inside me. After finally being diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome (TS), I served a short, six-week mission in my then-hometown and those 15 weeks were my mission. I've often pondered why I couldn't serve the full two years, but the Man upstairs had a different plan for me.
So please feel free to follow along! Hopefully you'll gain some insight into TS, maybe have a good laugh or two, and enjoy!
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