What a lovely, nostalgic post! Though I must disagree with you on one point in particular-- your hypothetical paintings may not be what Bob Ross would come up with, but he'd be nonetheless pleased and proud by your ability to express yourself. There's nothing lesser about your method of artistic/creative expression. You captured pieces of yourself in hardcopy and that's more than a lot of people ever try to do. It's a shame that the book and your drawings were lost; I'm sure it could've been interesting to go through them again with fresh eyes.

If it's alright to ask, why didn't you decide to pursue this interest as a career? Is is still something you do as a hobby?