User:Eric Talaska

Autobiography of Eric Talaska

Eric was born in 1969, in Findlay, Ohio. In 1977 at age 8, he moved to Texarkana, Texas because his father got a job transfer there. In his teens, Eric liked to hike and ride and work on motorcycles. He spent a lot of time collecting stamps like his father, but later quit collecting. His performance in school was below average. He was a Cub Scout. He graduated high school in 1987 from Ashdown, Arkansas.

Eric joined the Army right after high school. He worked as a Radio Teletype Operator in Kansas where he had various Top Secret plus security clearances. In 1988, he participated in a NATO operation that was the largest European ground maneuver since WWII. Then he got sent to Alaska and narrowly got out of the Army in 1989 as it was hard to get out then. The Army is credited in jump starting Eric in college with encouragement and money, a difficult feat with his poor high school record.

Eric moved back to Texarkana and worked in a tire factory for two years. It was inhumane and dangerous work. He worked the night shift and took college classes during the day to top it off. He seriously considered moving to Australia, but found it impossible without very special qualifications.

In 1992 Eric read Stephen Covey's book and became inspired to quit the factory job and attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville full time. This was the best decision he ever made. He was intrigued about the new Internet revolution and wrote a research paper about it. He also interned at a television station. He graduated in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in Communication. His name is engraved in the sidewalk. After college, he moved to various places around the country and held an additional 18 jobs in search something enjoyable and rewarding.

In 1995, Eric invented an inline skate brake while working in Florida. He moved near Washington D.C. to explore the museums and to do patent research. He built a working model of his brake. Then he wrote and prosecuted the patent completely on his own without an attorney. He was awarded a patent in 1996 in which case the patent office made serious diagram errors that compromised his patent. He invested a lot of time and money in building brakes that he marketed in some stores and on the Internet. He has the creative talent to invent many other useful products, but has been discouraged due to the extreme time, money and failure rate of the patent process and marketing. In 1996, He worked as one of the first Internet website designers.

In 1998, Eric earned a Paralegal Certificate and worked for a law firm as a bonded Notary Public. He achieved lawschool admissions requirements, but didn't attend. In 2004 he purchased his first building in Murfreesboro, Arkansas and moved there. He spent a few years remodeling. He owned his own home based computer store where he built and serviced computers and did website design.

In 2007, Eric adapted the enlightened works of Neale Donald Walsch. In late 2008 Eric sold his building and worked in the stock market with neither great loss nor success. In 2009, he took a vacation to Florida and swam with dolphins. He also got caught in a rip current and survived by staying calm and swimming parallel with the shore.

Eric's strongest passion is in environmentalism and conservation. He also has a strong interest and knowledge of natural health. He loves eating healthfood and living a healthy lifestyle. Eric has never been married. If he never has a boy, six generations of the Talaska surname will end which is ironic as Dr. Leon Talaska handled over 5,000 obstetrical cases.