Building the American Dream
by
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“I hear so many people today grumble about their life’s work; they hate this and they hate that and they grumble, grumble and grumble everyday. What a pity! Anyone can get just a job, but why not go for the gold? After all, it is your life we’re talking about, isn’t it? You alone have to make the final decision. In the end, the choices we make dictate the life we lead.”
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“The radio was always on in the kitchen while Mom was busy baking or cleaning. I would imitate the announcers by playing records on the old phonograph upstairs in my room and announce what was coming up next. I would also do my rendition of a weather report. Of course I would sing along and dance to the 50’s music. Mom and Dad seemed to enjoy my antics, although I wonder now, if I wasn’t actually driving them nuts. I would pretend to do interviews with a microphone. Little did I know that someday I would be embarrassing myself by writing about it! I think with everyone’s fascination with radio during those years, it became apparent to me that this would be a good job.”
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My nephew Scott, purchased my parent’s farm and now whenever I visit that area, I still feel like a kid again, roaming the fields and feel a deep sense of peace with the world and a connection with my distant past. Sometimes while I am there, I get a glimpse, a flash back and see that little barefoot boy laughing, with his dog jumping through hoops – but only for a brief instant. In a blink it is gone; a time now locked in the memory cells of my mind from which it had emerged ever so briefly. When I return home, I am at peace and always a little excited to know that this place still has a claim on me. I also realize now, that I could not be the man I am today, without being the boy I was yesterday, in a not so far off place, but a long time ago.
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“It was about this time, that announcers began playing some practical jokes on each other. I found out it was common in the business, behind the microphone, where anything goes. I can remember one day in particular, I hurried in, ripped the news copy off the Associated Press wire before sitting down to read it over quickly, in the minutes I had before going on the air. Usually when we had the time, we cut the stories in smaller pieces to hold in our hands. Only this time I had about a five foot piece dangling under the table. Nearing the end of my newscast, another announcer decided he would crawl under the table and light my copy on fire. It actually happened! Picture this, here I am reading a mile a minute hurrying along trying to get through this final story, as the smoke and flames are beginning to fan upward between my legs. I finished, stamped out the fire and awaited my revenge. Later the jokester was reading a local weather report when I decided to put out his fire by pouring ice cubes and cold water down his back while he was on the air. This would happen from time to time, between announcers, with the audience never knowing just what was really going on behind the microphone; thankfully no one could see us.”
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“The army provided me discipline and a small introduction to business that I later put into practice. Then I received what could be considered, in a non-academic sense, a business degree from an old Swedish gentleman, Ivar T. Wedin, owner of WITW radio. He gave me the opportunity of hands on experience in my chosen field of radio broadcasting.
In the same sense, I received a banking degree by the hard lessons learned from the local non-supportive banking establishment. Their refusal to risk loaning me the much needed money to finance my endeavors, gave me the incentive to learn creative financing.
Another degree would have been in marketing, earned from all the negative thinking individuals and doubters with their “He’ll be out of business in six months theory,” as I proved them wrong.
And a degree in financial investment would have come from learning from those non-investors, as well as the non-supporters who listened to everyone but their own hearts and missed out on a sound, lucrative investment opportunity.”
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About the Book
Building the American Dream depicts the journey of author, Gary Knapp, from his very beginnings on a rural dairy farm in southern
His journey is fueled by his inability to accept defeat, his persistence in finding a way to accomplish his goals by creating innovative financing when the traditional routes failed him, his trust in, and loyalty to reliable advisors and a family who supported him through thick and thin.
The reader gets a first hand look at what goes on behind the scenes in radio and television production, sales and management. They accompany him as he moves from one phase of his interesting career to the next.
Author Knapp, takes us back to the days of our childhood and the simple good life about which we all like to reminisce. We can smell his mom’s apple pie baking as the family gathers around the radio set listening to Fibber McGee and Molly. He stimulates our memories of past parades, local celebrations, community events which he covered as a newsman and broadcaster and recreates the home town atmosphere of typical small towns through out our country.
This book, with its motivational and informative hints, could be considered a handbook on how to attain one’s goals and dreams, or by some, a guideline showing the steps necessary to succeed in business ventures and by others, just a ‘good read.’
Gary Knapp has brought to life, a story, rich in human interest, history of radio and television, entrepreneurship and events in the town of Cadillac, Michigan, where Gary took broadcasting to a higher level while building his American dream.
About the Author
At the tender age of six, Gary Knapp knew he wanted to be a radio announcer. After a three year stint in the army during the Vietnam War, he went on to accomplish his dreams in the broadcasting profession. He became highly successful as a radio and television broadcaster over a 30 year period. Starting out at a small station in
Not only was he active in the communication business, but also in sales and management in both radio and television and eventually filed for an FCC license, constructing several broadcast television stations in northern
Now retired, he continues using his communication skills as producer, host and videographer of Dive Travel - a 30 minute video adventure series. He deep sea dives at destinations all over the world, filming for viewers the true wonders of God’s work below the surface of the ocean. His productions are being distributed and sold world wide. (website:grkproductions.com)
Knapp is also a spokesperson for the Oceans for Youth Foundation at local schools and visits high schools, colleges and universities as a motivational speaker.