“I’ve always been a Maverick,” Walt Woods explains sitting with his wife May, and their little dog Mickey Mouse. One may not know the meaning of this quote until they were able to have a discussion with him about politics, the stock market, or literature. Both May and Walt are dentists who started their practice together in Syracuse after graduating from dental school in Buffalo. They have six children, all of whom live nearby. They have spent much of their lives traveling the world, including places like Switzerland, Toronto, and the fjords of New Zealand,

Walt and May came to the Nottingham due to health issues, and are now a part of the writing group. Walt’s favorite part is the books, because of his love for book reviews, but he would also like to write a memoir. “I am perhaps a little odd, but I don’t read novels, I think you should read things that will be useful to your life.” he said commenting on his taste for only non-fiction, before recommending The Richest Man in Babylon. Not only can he provide book recommendations, but he can also provide information about everything. He spits out facts and statistics to support every claim he makes, and even supplies a history of ethanol and his ideas about inflation. Walt has a great interest in politics, and supports politician Ron Paul for the election in 2008. He does not identify himself with either the Republican or Democratic parties because he sees problems with both of them.

Walt is a very progressive man in that he is in support of change all the time. He is technologically advanced, and even does stock trading over the internet. He also explains what he calls his “unique form of investing in small companies” and the risk that is involved, claiming, “It’s not the money. It’s the challenge.” Walt also refers to a Chinese expression that he heard in his travel in Hong Kong. One side of a piece of paper said “crisis” and the other said “opportunity.” “You can’t have opportunity without change,” he said. When Walt and May aren’t in the writing group, at an exercise class, or walking their dog, they are traveling to the Adirondacks, where they can unwind. Walt said, “One of the problems today is that everything is high tech. People have a hard time relaxing.”

Profile by Caitlin Heikkila.