The Beginning — Early Childhood Memories Part 1
I’m going to start at the beginning or at least as much to the beginning I can remember from my own memory of my childhood. There are a few holes in my early childhood though I am still seeking answers to. I am finally getting the courage to obtain the foster care records from the time I was 3 years old to roughly the age of 5. Seeing those records will help me have a clearer picture of what my early childhood was really like. At least it is my hope.
I do remember the home we lived in when I was an infant and toddler. My dad owned and operated a filling station west of town. We lived in the house on the same property as the station. Railroad tracks ran behind the property on the other side of the barbed wire fence. My brothers and I would often sit at the top of the incline and watch the train go by in the afternoon.
My brothers and I would sit inside that shop quite a lot. Our house was to the east of the shop. I have vague memories of the inside of the house. Most of the memories I have of this time in my life are outside the house. I remember going to church with my family. I remember my dad disciplining me during church. Now that I think about it the few memories I have been able to retain of him were of him always being the disciplinarian. I remember my dad always getting on my brothers to watch out for me. They also got in trouble for tattling on me. I really have no tangible memories of Mary Ann from when I was a toddler. I don’t call Mary Ann mom. I never will. More on that in a later writing.
For all intents and purposes you would think we lived a normal life. We had grandparents that helped take care of us. We had pets, toys, you know the things that most associate with a normal life. However our life was far from normal. In fact it was tragic.
