Precious Moments

About the Book

The book consists of a collection of his poems concerning various moments and situations during the latter part of his life. Interactions with family, friends and students as well as challenges from other poets created the inspirations for the poems. After all, we are the sum total of all the interactions that we have with other people during the course of our lifetime.

About the Author

Albert Browning was born during the early years of world war II at Puritan Mines, Mingo County, West Virginia. He is the seventh of twelve children born to Dan and Ruby Browning. His father was a coal miner until becoming disabled in a mining accident and his mother, with such a large family, was a stay-at-home mom. He and the family lived through many difficult times during an era where luxuries such as indoor plumbing was not available. He attended his first eight years of school in a two-room elementary school at Dunlow, WV and graduated Burch High School in Delbarton, WV. Upon graduation he enlisted in the U. S. Navy serving four years as and electrician during the Vietnam Era. He met his wife, June while on military leave and they were married in 1964. It was a good which marriage lasted forty-one years until her death. Upon his discharge from military service he returned to his native, Mingo County, WV and settled down to making a living for himself and his family. During his career, he has worked as a roofer, sheet-metal worker, heating and air conditioning mechanic, electric utility worker, coal miner and teacher. While working to provide for the family he also continued his education while attending Southern WV Community College, West Virginia Institute of Technology and Marshall University earning a bachelor degree in vocational education and a masters degree in adult technical education. During the latter part of his career he opened and operated the Mingo Mine Academy, a private training facility which catered to local coal mine employees. His ended his work career by retiring from the local school system in order to attend to the needs of his wife during her unsuccessful battle with cancer. Since her death he has maintained a home in Mingo County, WV but spends the bulk of his time at his home near Holden Beach in Brunswick County, NC. His hobbies include drawing and painting, playing guitar with a local country music group, gardening, cooking and traveling.