A special thanks to the Late Ed Wooten for editing this Chapter.

I'm going to be painting a picture for you. Each of these pieces might seem insignificant by themselves and even boring. But later when I start putting these pieces together they will be invaluable to the overall picture. So bear with me. Some of our earliest memories and experiences make us what we are today.

1963

As I look around my living room I realize just how simple life is. There is no such thing as a cell phone, pager, touch-tone phone, CD player, VCR, cable TV, satellite TV, and fax machine. This is the stuff of science fiction. Computers are very slow and take up huge rooms. Microwave ovens are very expensive and have not been accepted yet. Color TV is very expensive and most of the stations and shows are in black and white anyway. If you are lucky you can get three channels even in a big city. Most roads are state and U.S. highways. The superhighway system is in its infancy.

If you get cancer or heart disease, you are going to die. There is no chemotherapy. Open-heart or by-pass surgery will be years in coming. You don't go to see the doctor, the doctor comes to see you.

It is a man's world. Most women are homemakers. If they want to work they have two choices - school teachers and nurses. Divorce is a rare thing and frowned upon.

Life is simple. Black and white. Right and wrong. There are no gray areas. We can trust our leaders and we live in fear. Fear of inter-continental nuclear war.

The world I live in is ideal for kids. You see, I was born at the end of the baby boom generation. The TV shows, commercials, shopping centers, and restaurants are all marketing for kids. MacDonald's has sold about 800 million burgers, although going out to eat is a rare event. This is my world.

We moved from Ann Arbor to the grounds of Caro State Hospital in the summer of 1963. We used my Uncle Grant's VW van to help with the move. My Uncle Grant lives in Kalamazoo. He married my mom's college roommate, Aunt Marilyn. When we returned the van we all went to Warren Dunes State Park on the Eastern Shore of Lake Michigan. Uncle Grant has a big family. The first born was Lyle, he is a year older than my sister's age, making him 7. Then there is Kevin, he is 6. Then there is Marshall who just turned 4 and is 6 months older than me and then Leigh Ann who just turned 3, so I am six months older than her. When we got to the State Park I got bored so I went exploring. I went over a dune and found a snack shop. This nice man gave me a Coke and let me sit on his cooler. I was having a great time when my dad showed up and said, "There you are." He was real mad, saying that I had gotten lost, but I knew where I was. I knew exactly where I was. I guess it didn't matter because I got a spanking anyway.

We moved in a house on the hospital grounds, on the bottom floor. The top floor is empty. There is a basement. The hospital pays the rent and mom and dad need to pay the utilities. There are only 6 other houses on the grounds and only one with kids. They were the Helmans and they had a son named Tom who was 7 and he had an older brother and sister. I can't remember their names but they were old. The girl was like 8 and the boy was 12. We all played together but I really didn't like Tom. He was a bit of a bully, always bossing me around. There were also lots of old buildings to explore but we were strictly forbidden from going into them. That didn't stop us. We also like to climb trees.

This was really different for me. At my 3rd birthday party there were over 30 kids my age. One thing we did have plenty of is patients from the hospital walking around. They all looked really weird, and had blank expressions on their faces. (If you have seen the movie 'Night of the Living Dead', that's what they looked like!) They talked to me from time to time. One guy can take his teeth out. It was strange. I couldn't take my teeth out. Once my dad caught some of the patients talking to me and he got really mad and told me not to talk to them.

We made a trip to my grandparents' house that summer. They lived near Kalamazoo. I have never met my grandparents on my father's side. Maybe when I get older. We got to their house and great-grandmother Porter was living with them. My great-grandmother was married to her first cousin. My great-grandmother also has the same last name as my father. But they are not related. I love my great-grandmother because she lets me crawl up on her lap. I really love to sit on people's laps. She has this loose skin under her chin that I play with.

Our next door neighbor sells used TV's. I really like him. He picks me up and tosses me up into the air and then catches me. Dad bought one from him to replace the one I broke. I like TV. My favorite shows are 'Leave It to Beaver' and 'The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show'. I also like cartoons. Bugs Bunny is my favorite. I am so glad we have a TV again.

My dad has a friend from work who has a daughter my age. Her name is Wendy Wood. She lives in an apartment building about a mile away. I only get to play with her when my mom goes to visit them. I like to play with Wendy. She has red hair like my mom.

The summer is over and my sister is going to 1st grade. I wish I was going to school too. My sister can't play with me any more because she is at school. My mom is not working and spends the day with me but I have no friends to play with.

We got a cat and his name is Tiger. He has yellow stripes. My mom told me that if I am nice to the cat, the cat will be nice to me, but if I'm not nice the cat will scratch me.

My dad took me to get a haircut. He gave me a real short haircut. There was this real old boy there getting a haircut too. He had to be about 14 years old. He was getting a short haircut too. He was crying and I could not understand it. Getting a haircut doesn't hurt, does it? It must hurt him, because he is crying.

It is my birthday again. I am this many. Oops, you can't see me. I am holding up four fingers. I got some toys, a desk, and some cake but I didn't have a big party like last year. It is mid-October and all the trees are changing colors.

I got my own room! I have been sharing a room with my sister. I don't mind sharing a room with my sister but it is nice to get my own room. My parents were waiting to get me some furniture.

It is now mid-November and my parents told me that my great-grandmother Porter died and went to heaven. I am going to miss getting up on her lap and hugging her.

It is now near the end of November and I can't watch any of my cartoons. They have different programs on. My parents are watching them very closely and telling us to be quiet. I asked my mom why my cartoons aren't on and she said that President Kennedy was shot and killed and has gone to heaven. It seems to me that everyone is going to heaven. We have a new president. His name is Johnson. My mom told me that the guy who shot President Kennedy was shot and is dead too. They took the guy who shot him to jail. I don't understand why they took him to jail. I mean he killed the guy who killed the president, what is wrong with that? My mom says I will understand when I grow up. It was three days before I could see my cartoons again.

Thanksgiving was great. We had a big turkey and it was really good.

We made a trip to Greenfield Village and saw the Henry Ford Museum. They had lots of old cars and trains there.

For Christmas we went to my grandparents' house. When we got there, grandfather was still at work. I watched TV and Rocky and Bullwinkle was on. Later I got to meet some new family. My Uncle John and Aunt Joann with my cousins: Johnny - a year older than my sister, Nancy - she is my age, and Steve who is just a baby. They also live near Kalamazoo. My Auntie Alma and Uncle Arnold with their son Glenn came from Oregon. Glenn is my age too. My Uncle Grant also came over with his family. Me, Nancy, Glenn, Marshall, and Lee Ann all played together. It was lots of fun. I really got along well with Glenn. We were all about the same age. Christmas morning Santa had lots of gifts under the tree. We all went to church and when we got back we opened the gifts. I got lots of toys. Then my uncles and my dad took all the wrapping paper outside and burned it in a barrel in the back yard.

We went home and before I knew it we had another holiday, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. On New Year's Day the Woods came over and watched football with us.

1964

We got a really big snowstorm. My sister and I made snow angels and snowmen. We had gotten sleds for Christmas and there is this really big hill over by the Helmans' house. We had lots of fun sliding down the hill. A few days later it rained all day and all the snow was gone. Dad called it a January thaw.

Every Sunday night they have a show on TV that I really like. It is called The Wonderful World of Disney. This old guy talks at the start of each show. He talks about what he is going to show. Sometimes it has movies and sometimes it has cartoons. They had this movie called the Vienna Boys Choir. I could sing as good as the boys in the movie. I told my parents I wanted to be in that choir. They said that I could not be in the choir but perhaps I could sing somewhere else. But I could dream. I had found my first big fantasy. I dreamed and dreamed about being in that choir.

I had a nightmare last night. I dreamed I was in a brick cell that was two by two feet and ten feet high. I was all alone and could not get out. I was really scared and woke up with my heart pounding. I will never forget that dream.

There are many 'rites of passage' in my life and today I learned how to tie my own shoes. Now I can dress myself! My dad showed me how. I tied my shoes 50 times. I am so happy.

Winter turned into spring and a family moved into the upstairs of our house. They had a son my age called Tom Walker. We became best friends and were together all the time. We would play fantasy games together. Our favorite was 'Policeman and Outer-space Fighters'. We would play that all the time. When we grow up, that is what we are going to be. I am so happy having a best friend again.

My dad bought a motorcycle and it is lots of fun. He lets me sit on the gas tank and gives me rides. I sat on it once and it tipped over and broke his mirror. He got real mad and gave me a spanking. Dad made friends with another man call Mr. Sandback who also rides a motorcycle. I crawled up on his motorcycle too and it tipped over and broke his mirror. Dad was real mad and took a piece of plywood and made something to spank me with. He called it 'Mr. Straighten Me Up,' and 'The Board of Education.' I was the first one to test it out.

I was outside playing and I wet myself. When I got home I told my Dad that I fell in a puddle. He told me to show him the puddle. We walked all over the neighborhood but I could not find a puddle. Once again I got to know Mr. Straighten Me Up.

We had a dryer in the basement and I liked to go inside it and play spaceman. One day Mrs. Walker found me inside playing. I had another encounter with my plywood friend.

My mom took us to the laundry mat. They had a popcorn vending machine there and I found that I could reach my arm inside it and get a few kernels. But I found it was much easier to steal some money out of some lady's purse. Then I put the money in the machine and told my mother I got the popcorn by reaching my hand into the machine. This time I did not get caught.

My grandparents came to visit us. Tom Walker and I were playing when my grandfather came outside with a camera. We both froze and he told us to move around. We didn't understand. Usually when someone points a camera at us they want us to stand still.

Spring became summer and we had several big thunderstorms. I like thunderstorms but my mom doesn't let me run around outside in a thunderstorm like she does when it just rains. During one of these storms a big tree we like to climb came down. My mom thought it was a tornado that did it.

Dad got two weeks off work and rented a small trailer. We went to the Grand Canyon. It took forever to get there. We were sitting on the railing and my mom and sister had their hands in front of me. I thought that I was going to fall backward over the canyon. There were the two boys who jumped over the railing while another took their picture. I thought they were dead. I looked over the railing and they were on a ledge right on the edge on the canyon, laughing. We also saw the Painted Desert, Petrified Forest, and Bryce Canyon. Dad walked to the bottom of Bryce Canyon but he would not take us. He said that he did not want to carry us back up. He kept a water bag on the front bumper of the car. The water in it was always cold. It was very hot out. We drove back to Michigan the same way we came, on Route 66.

My parents gave me my sister's old two wheeler with training wheels at the beginning of the summer. My dad took off one of them and that didn't work very well. I kept falling. Finally he took off the other one and I was riding on my own for the first time. My dad took a picture of me.

Something bad has happened. My best friend Tom Walker has moved away. Life can be cruel. Tom, should you read this, I want you to know that I still love you, dude, and I am keeping the dream alive. When we grow up we are going to be policemen and outer-space fighters.

Summer is turning into fall and I am starting my first day of school! I am in kindergarten and I am going to school for a half day in the morning. My teacher's name is Mrs. Tim and she is very old. She even looks older than my grandmother does. I like school. We get to do fun stuff. Mrs. Tim lets me crawl up on her lap and hug her.

Our cat Tiger went away, I don't know where he went. We got another cat, his name is Tomcat.

I just had another birthday. I am 5 now. Next year I will need two hands to show people how old I am.

Thanksgiving came and went and then it was Christmas. We stayed home this year. And once again it was a new year.

1965

I did make a new friend from school. His name was Scott but we were not as close as Tom and I had been. He lived in town and I only saw him at school and went to his house a few times.

School finished and I graduated kindergarten.

Dad bought a tent trailer camper and we started going up north every weekend. We also made a trip to Yellowstone National Park. We were sitting, waiting for Old Faithful to shoot water into the air when it erupted. The water came right at us and everyone ran. It took me sometime to find my family. On the way back we stopped at a campground in South Dakota. I made friends with this boy and we were throwing stones into this river. Some bigger boys on the other side of the river up in a hill thought we were throwing rocks at them. They started throwing back at us. They hit my friend in the front of his head and I saw blood everywhere. He walked away crying.