A Command Heeded

By Alan James Folkestad

PROMPT—Never will I forget ...

One wintry day, a high school friend and I set out on a large frozen Minnesota lake. Wearing ice skates, we hoped the wind would fill our homemade sails and carry us across the lake.

After catching the wind, we shot over the lake at speeds approaching 15 miles per hour. We had no fear of breaking through the over seven inches of ice.

Suddenly, a voice shouted, “Stop,” and I did.

Peering over my sail, I saw a large gaping hole in front of me. Only a few feet separated me from plunging into the freezing water and possibly drowning.

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After graduating from the University of Minnesota, Alan James Folkestad joined the US Air Force and pursued a career in logistics. In that capacity, he authored and revised numerous operation manuals. After the Air Force, Alan found employment with the Colorado Department of Labor as the Director of Veterans Employment Programs. In that position, he submitted federal grants to fund various training programs that improved veterans’ employment opportunities. Alan writes from Centennial, Colorado.