Pat Conroy was an author who grew up in South
             Carolina.His works were influenced by his life and
             experiences which occurred from when he was young to
             the present time. He attended Beaufred High School
             with a good buddy,Bruce Harper. They did many things
             together from playing golf to swimming.
             It seemed as though he was very close to his
             mother,Peggy as he talked about her much more than he
             mentioned his father. He told about things she enjoyed
             such as living near the shore to collect seashells and her
             fear of hurricanes.She was not much into socializing with
             other people,but never felt isolated due to the flow of
             humanity which occurred at the golf course they lived
             Pat's first trip to Fripp Island, on the shoulder of
             the Atlantic Ocean, was during the summer of his 15th
             year. Marine Kernel and his son took him on a fishing trip
             there. Pat's mother died in 1984 while living in Fripp. The
             views of the sea, waves,and light all symbolized his
             mother. He felt that nature was a way of approaching
             god.He bought a house on the lagoon to observe wildlife
             which influenced his writing.He wrote about the salty
             marsh, the beach, and animals. He always tries to inhabit
             the soul of things before writing about them and as a
             result the way he has lived pays off in his success today.
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