| YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND |
Let’s go back to the beginning. Seems like a good place to start. The first vague, scattered
memories that I have of my life. At about age 4, memories are more plentiful but this was before that. An
earlier age with not a lot of clutter but a few memories that still somehow seem clear.
I spent a good part of my childhood in the “50's” We lived in the old historic district of town. Some of
these homes were well over 100years old then. As a child and on into adulthood, I have loved the “feel “
of these old homes. I used to like to walk at dusk, down the streets and just feel the homes as I passed
by. I loved most of these old homes but not all. Those are stories for a different time. Back to my earliest
years, I loved the night. From the time I was able to walk, my parents would find me up and out of my crib
night after night. Walking and playing around the house. Talking to myself. Alone in the dark..They would
retrieve me, put me back into my crib, and ask me “What are you doing alone in the dark? Why do you
keep doing this? How can you even see where you’re going?” This continues until we moved to a
different house. Even as I was growing up, my parents would bring this up on occasion and say “We
never could figure out why you did this night after night. Why did you do that?” My answer was always the
same. “I don’t know.”
Here’s the real answer though, to that question that I was asked so many times. You see, I was not
alone. I was never alone walking, conversing, playing in the dark of the night. I was holding the hand of
an elderly gentleman, as we walked at night. I had a friend and that was the beginning. Imagine that!
memories that I have of my life. At about age 4, memories are more plentiful but this was before that. An
earlier age with not a lot of clutter but a few memories that still somehow seem clear.
I spent a good part of my childhood in the “50's” We lived in the old historic district of town. Some of
these homes were well over 100years old then. As a child and on into adulthood, I have loved the “feel “
of these old homes. I used to like to walk at dusk, down the streets and just feel the homes as I passed
by. I loved most of these old homes but not all. Those are stories for a different time. Back to my earliest
years, I loved the night. From the time I was able to walk, my parents would find me up and out of my crib
night after night. Walking and playing around the house. Talking to myself. Alone in the dark..They would
retrieve me, put me back into my crib, and ask me “What are you doing alone in the dark? Why do you
keep doing this? How can you even see where you’re going?” This continues until we moved to a
different house. Even as I was growing up, my parents would bring this up on occasion and say “We
never could figure out why you did this night after night. Why did you do that?” My answer was always the
same. “I don’t know.”
Here’s the real answer though, to that question that I was asked so many times. You see, I was not
alone. I was never alone walking, conversing, playing in the dark of the night. I was holding the hand of
an elderly gentleman, as we walked at night. I had a friend and that was the beginning. Imagine that!