Becoming a book worm...

I was always smart in school, but think I became the book worm I am today in 5th grade. We are in the South Carolina trailer park, but we are in the nicer trailer, not the tiny efficiency one. She goes to work in the evenings.. I think at the grocery store? Bi-Los? Every afternoon I am to let my self in, not leave the house or open the door and she comes home late from work. I am not allowed to watch tv.. and we only have one tiny 12 inch black and white that she plugs in for the one program I am allowed to watch... i still remember -- High Mountain Rangers -- or something. so I read. and I read a lot. Every day I check out 2-3 books from the library, the librarian is my friend and let's me exceed the maximum number of books to be checked out ( I think it's one or two). I easily read 2 books a night... this year I recall reading all the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Boxcar Kids, Sweet Valley High, and chronicles of narnia.

A crazed bookworm was born.

Why I won't eat thousand island dressing

I think I was about 10.. can't remember. We don't have food, or rather Mary isn't feeding me. She has me sitting on a couch all day and all night trying to make me recollect memories of something, whatever I can remember about father. What? I really don't understand.. she questions me over and over about my aunt and uncle and a time when I was 5 or 6, and then over and over about a time I last saw my father at 3? She truly is nuts... doesn't feed us for a least a couple days, telling me that fasting is good for the soul. When we do finally eat.. it's flour and water fried patties with ketchup and mayonnaise mixed together.. to this day I won't eat thousand island dressing..

Value of collected aluminum cans

We are constantly collecting soda cans... always remember crushing and adding them to plastic bags. We turn them in and collect money for cans by the pound...where are we and how old am I? I don't remember.

16 years old and emancipated

These aren't in order, but rather as I recollect. After mary (mom) put me on the bus to Colorado I didn't see her for more than 10 years. Roger (dad) who I hadn't known since I was 2 may have tried his best... but it was quite difficult. I was used to stealing food stamps from mary to get food, running around in the night, doing anything while she prayed... and roger, well, bed by 8 pm (I was 13!) and a glass of milk every night. Quite a shocker. I stayed through the remainder of 8th grade and most of 9th, but then went to visit my aunt and uncle in Maryland, and never went back.

I don't have much memory of why I didn't go back -- but apparently I told dad I wouldn't go back, or I thought he didn't want me back.

Lasted with a patient uncle for a few months, and then I moved out at 15 with a wonderful lady and her daughter. That too lasted a few months, and I was too big for my britches.

At 16 I dropped out of the high school international baccalaureate program and registered at the local community college (I went on to get 2 masters degrees later in life) and went to court to get emancipated.

From 16 on, I have lived and supported myself.. very interesting times...