My name is Thomas Godwin and, although I have been interested in writing on Hive for a long time, this is my second post. Apparently, I've gone and done things backward, posting about Scotch whisky rather than introducing myself. Guess it shows where my priorities lie. 😁
I've been a freelance writer for going on six years now, quitting a lucrative, 11-year career in the shipbuilding industry. It was a frightening decision to make—giving up a 401k, paid holidays and vacations, health and dental insurance, and the security of a paycheck every week.
But, I've learned in my 42 years that nothing good comes to those who wait. I've since become a Contributor with, Outdoor World Review, Headless Nomad, and Blitz'd Magazine. Blitz'd Magazine is some of my earlier work and, as a men's alternative lifestyle magazine, make sure your kids aren't around if you click the link. But hey, everybody has to start somewhere and it shows that I can cover a pretty wide range of genres when I need to.
I’ve seen a lot in a short time. I don’t know if you could term that a blessing or a curse. I was in D.C. on September 11, 2001. During my enlistment as a US Marine, I spent time in Quantico, Virginia, and Washington D.C. 
Image by Russ McElroy from Pixabay
Everyone who was old enough remembers where they were and what they were doing that day. Half of my life has passed since, and I remember who I was speaking to and what we were doing.
I served one tour and decided against reenlistment. I was young and even though Parris Island changed me, I was still resistant to being told what to do. I settled in Fredericksburg for a time, absorbing the immense history of the area, spending time in allegedly ghost-filled bars, and camping out in haunted woods. The northern part of Virginia is full of incredible scenery in an almost eerie way. The area has seen its fair share of death and agony over the centuries.
Eventually, the call of home and tropical summers drew me back to Florida. I’ve grown quite the fondness for nature over the years and Florida’s is nearly unmatched. The sugar-white sands of the beaches fade away as you turn inland, becoming thick, ancient oaks, pine trees, and moss-covered canopies that practically beg you to sit down and rest your back against a trunk.
Florida sits on top of what might be one of the largest aquifers in the world, giving way to over a thousand springs. The water is so clear you feel like falling out of a kayak will mean death on the craggy rocks below. As fall gives way to winter, the manatees come calling. Florida springs maintain a comfortable temperature year-round and manatees flee the cold, taking solace in the clear springs—sometimes hundreds at a time.
As a lover of nature, I also hunt, which gets a quizzical reaction from some at times. I hunt for two reasons—it’s as organic as you can get and I’ve seen the horrendous toll that overpopulation takes on local wildlife. I’ve seen the skeletal bucks bounding from the woods, no bigger than my female Doberman, Athena, who weighs about 60lbs.
I am fascinated by history, especially 800AD to 1400AD England and the Ancient Egyptians. 
Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay
I have an audiobook and Kindle library with over 400 books that cover some of the greatest philosophers in history, including G.K. Chesterton, St. Thomas of Aquinas, Plato, Socrates, Confucius, and Aristotle. My favorite biographies include John D. Rockefeller, Tesla, Andrew Carnegie, Julius Ceasar, Henry V, John Adams, Teddy Roosevelt, and George Washington Carver, who has to be the greatest agricultural inventor of all time.
I met my wife in 2011 and, without her, I wouldn't be here writing any of this. 
I'd probably still be laboring away in a shipyard, trying to drink enough water to avoid heat exhaustion. She's the one that convinced me to make the leap from a traditional job to freelance writing. Not the best picture of me, right after spending a day on the disc golf course. However, as you will probably discover, assuming you read anything I write now and in the future, I have no shame. I learned to let things like that go a long time ago.
As a freelancer, I've been rejected more often than accepted, which I have come to understand is pretty much how it goes. If I took every rejection personally, I would be a stressed-out mess of a human being. I don't. When I get a rejection, I shrug my shoulders and move on. A long time ago, a Marine Gunnery Sergeant gave me some of the best advice I've probably ever had—you can't worry about the things you can't control.
I'm also looking to return to my fiction roots. I have a BFA in Creative Writing for Entertainment and I've had a story bouncing around inside my skull for about ten years now. It's either serialize it here or on Substack and I'm still undecided. Perhaps some of you can provide me with a little guidance on that. Anyway, I appreciate the help and guidance from @traciyork and @lovesniper, without whom I wouldn't be writing this meandering introduction post.
I'm happy to be here. I hope the Hive Community as a whole continues to thrive and grow, whether I'm here or not. For all of my fellow freelance writers, I wish you the best and hope you all find success!