Glad I have a daughter that is better than me with writing. Here is a revised and edited Chapter one of my book, or story. I will await your comments. Thank you
I was born in October of 1954. The world as of today was in strife of global conflict as it was in my day.
I am older now almost 60 by the calendar. My heart feels much younger, I have no idea how.
I have done so many things I should not have; drugs, caring only about me, living a life of self destruction.
My beliefs are of The God of Abraham, I am not of Jewish faith but a man who believes in Jesus Christ. This I will share as you read what I write. My life began in northern Texas, its the panhandle part of a very large state. Life was so much simpler in 1954. Automobile's were built with grace, sleek and style, they were large by comparison of today's car, not much plastic mostly of pure steel.
Children were allowed to play outside, there wasn't much fear of people who wish to harm our kids like today. As long as you were home by supper your parents didn't much care where you were, because they knew almost everyone in the area.
We would ride our bikes to a local park, we would play baseball most everyday, until dark. Man that was a pure life back then, we didn't swear, nor think of things like drugs, porn, murder, drive by shootings, or any of the fears our kids worry and deal with today. Not known to many in the world our government was about to explore space and put men on the moon. Some never believed it was possible, yet many knew we could.
I will start with my earliest memories. For Christmas in the 3rd grade I received a bicycle. Not to be outdone I also received a thing called a Johnny Rebel cannon. Man it was big to me, it would shoot big black balls all the way across my yard. I was cool to have such a Christmas as this, one I have never forgotten. You see I only had a mother, no father. He left right after I was born, not a word to my mom just gone. Left us alone, he wanted the things in life that corrupt our souls, whiskey, women, the night life, not to stay home and build character in me and be with my mom.
My desire to ride my new bicycle was very strong. I would skip school many days that year, so much that I failed the third grade.
My mother worked all day as a telephone operator, so no one was home to answer the phone when the school would call to ask “what was wrong with your son today? Why was he not at school?”
I had a mission as this young person. I would ride my bike to the park and collect coke type bottles to sell at the local small stores for three cents a bottle. I thought I was a wealthy young man, sometimes making $10.00 dollars a day. I could buy treasures of life, candy, hamburgers and all kind of things. It had become something that made me think I was my own little man.
It’s strange when things as I did, make us think we are our own person. It changed my whole being as a young man. I thought school was a waste, I could make money and have things I had not had as before.
My youth as I remember were of the Palo Dura Canyon and Buffalo Lake. Boating and driving over spiders as big as you can imagine Yep big and black and made a crunch when you drove over them, man they seemed big. I remember snakes, mostly poisonous ugly these I hate. I still have a fear of them, yes all snakes make my skin crawl.
I remember hearing one day of a skier skiing behind a boat, he had finished, let go of the rope. When his friends came back to find him he had been killed by snakes after stopping in a bed of young ones. I heard it was an awful thing what had happened.
I will never forget one day coming home from school, my mom was crying, staring at the television, they were only black and white back then. Her tears were flowing, her face was swollen. I sat next to her and looked and listened. I had not heard but then I saw what had happened. The president of the United States had been shot, the pictures were played over and over. The news caster was even shedding tears. Being as young as I was I really did not grasp the idea of this day. It was many years later that made it sad for me.
This was the first day of my life that I knew how soft and precious my mothers heart was. I had never seen her or anyone for that matter, hurt so hard and deep in their heart.
My mom was seeing a man who played baseball for what was called a minor league where we lived. He later became a major player for a club called the Colt 45's, they were a ball club from Houston. Bob moved to this big city all alone, my mother cared much for Bob, so as you guessed we sold the home, packed the bags and moved to this big town called Houston.
