Cool Enough

Fueled by beer and visions of vast wealth, narrator Mark Tornga and four of his teen-age cronies leave Grand Rapids, Michigan in June 1959 to realize their dream of becoming millionaires. Denied entrance into Canada at several border crossings, they eventually give up one dream and substitute another. With no money, no food and an unreliable vehicle, they struggle to maintain their optimistic plans for a princely future in the Alaskan frontier.

Fueled by beer and visions of vast wealth, narrator Mark Tornga and four of his teen-age cronies leave Grand Rapids, Michigan in June 1959 to realize their dream of becoming millionaires. Denied entrance into Canada at several border crossings, they eventually give up one dream and substitute another. With no money, no food and an unreliable vehicle, they struggle to maintain their optimistic plans for a princely future in the Alaskan frontier. Facing near-starvation, jail time and religious warfare, they ultimately surrender to forces bigger than themselves. “Cool Enough” is the story of dreams versus reality, idealism closely resembling idiocy, and the ultimate pull of family and common sense. Laugh along with these boys who, fortunately, did not have the sense to cry. Mr. Tornga’s memoir is not only the story of these young men, but also a journey through 1950’s America – nostalgic to those of us lucky enough to have lived then, perhaps unbelievable to anyone raised on instant gratification and constant communication.

Mark Tornga was born in Grand Rapids and, except for one foray into adventure, remained a Michigander well into adulthood when he gravitated to a career in health care administration. As the father of three young children, he once again opted for adventure and moved his family to Arizona, California, back to Arizona, only to return to California. Despite the demands of career and family, he never lost his love for adventure. In the ten years since retirement, with wife Susan by his side, he has visited more than seventy-five countries and all seven continents. And he’s not done yet. When not experiencing the excitement of other cultures, he enjoys the beauty of the Sonoran desert near his home in Oro Valley, Arizona.