On a bright Monday morning in 1974, Kip Pilgrim was 17 years old, and was making his breakfast. His mother was telling him that he needed to smile more. In his big head, Kip was politely responding that she needed to diet more. Losing a couple hundred pounds would be beneficial to your health, he thought. As it were.

Mrs. Pilgrim was a schoolteacher. She had once found a garish cartoon depicting several stickmen holding harpoons, shouting, "Call Captain Ahab! Let's go PILGRIM HUNTING!"

Remember that, Kip smiled. His mother nodded approvingly.