Vladimir Krestovich, Chapter 2

Vladimir was excessive in his moderation. This trait was the most prominent aspect of his personality, overpowering all else. Vlad's mother hoped that her son would go to the extremes exhibited by the other children in the neighborhood; even if he incurred the wrath of authority.

During the frequent social gatherings, whenever a parent would recount their child's latest episode, Mrs. Krestovich could contribute nothing. She would sit with a blank expression feeling ashamed of her reasonable and well behaved son. Their next-door neighbor, Corey Flintoff had killed a small dog with a monstrous wad of chewing gym. Even the shy Ira Livingston had made the papers when he accidentally robbed a halal cart with a 2" Swiss army knife.

When Vlad entered adolescence, Mrs. Krestovich gave him a wide berth hoping he would rebel. He never did. A mediocre athlete and proficient in most subjects, Vlad excelled in nothing. Vladimir knew where the line was, and unlike his peers, he did not believe in superstition, luck or god. It could be said that Vlad's one true genius was his ability to use pure reason as a guide in his decision making.

Even at an early age Vladimir would examine every fact and every situation in an unbiased fashion. As he matured he realized most individuals lacked this capacity. In fact the older one was, the less they were willing to incorporate reason into their decision making. The elderly terrified Vlad.

At the age of fourteen he began donating some of his time to the Sunset Elder Care Home downstate. Vladimir spent 4 hours a week helping move patients into (and out of) the facility. During this time Vladimir met his mentor to be—a sage who had lived his entire life having committed to no single philosophy.