Steve could never really fathom my interest in UFOs, but he mentioned at some point after we left Texas that, indeed, he had read some story or novel involving a UFO in the plot line, if only in a fleeting manner. I believe he was more intrigued by a woman's predominating role in the story.
Post military, Steve eventually attained a university degree in journalism, though he ultimately worked for a large insurance company. Journalism wasn't really his thing, anyway, as his true preference, his goal, was to write plays. At Sheppard AFB, if he wasn't reading fiction voraciously, he was jotting down notes or writing pages about. . .something. One didn't require deep analysis to appreciate his unrequited love for stories spun by revered authors of the day (he was a huge William Styron fan, for example, though I also discovered Steve to be quite captivated with the book, Ratman's Diary), and I do believe he escaped into fiction often for relief from depressing hospital work. He hated Sheppard AFB, truth be told.
In any event, to this day Steve's mother cherishes boxes full of notebooks containing notes about and initiations of plays Steve intended to write. Intended is the key word here because he never actually wrote a complete play, busying himself instead with organizing the preliminary ingredients. He was also fond of partying when not working, as he had many friends, and that probably consumed some potential writing time.
