Thursday, August 21, 2025

Ages 5 and 6 (Iowa Park, Texas)

Dad trying to teach Mom to drive, and screaming at her the whole time. I was forced to ride along in the back seat. I remember begging not to go.

Being scared of a big bat kite that neighborhood boys were flying.

Two neighborhood boys sitting on the curb, and not allowing me to pass, and me having to run past them.

A girl from the neighborhood coming over and stealing all the coins from my Mickey Mouse piggy-bank. She put the coins in her underwear, and walked out of our house in front of my parents---stooped over, with coins literally falling out of her underpants! And my idiot parents didn't do anything to stop her!

The "drama" over a baby-sitter for me: One teen baby-sitter---"Connie"---had invited over a boy, and cigarette butts were found by the fence of our yard. So my parents got a more sedate baby-sitter---"Frieda." Later, Connie confronted me (a 5- or 6-year-old): "No one likes Frieda!" 

Neighbors Al Aceves and family: 
At one point, I helped his wife take her groceries into their home. My mother chastised me for never helping with our own groceries.
At one point, Al Aceves organized a baseball game with the neighborhood kids. My 5-year-old-self proudly brought along my hollow plastic baseball bat... He, of course, dismissed it. I remember watching Aceves and the big boys walking away to their game. (To this day, when I think of something that doesn't measure up, I think "PLASTIC BAT.")

Oh yeah, and there's the "flying ants": I suppose I was seeing air molecules. But I made a big deal out of it: "THE ANTS!"

It's funny---you don't think of much going on mentally when you're 5 or 6, but I had a lot going on! :)

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