I was born in Brooklyn in 1959, and the 4-H Club and county fairs were something I’d only seen on TV. Summers in my neighborhood were spent at block parties with open fire hydrants cooling us down, riding the Cyclone at Coney Island, and swimming at Jones Beach. Being so able to visit these places when I was older felt incredibly exotic to me—and still does.

I often wonder who I would be had I been part of a 4-H Club.