1952-
My earliest recollections were when my family was at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. I would guess that I was three or four years old. I remember, I used to enjoy undermining our front walk with a tablespoon. We were in base-housing, which I recall, even as a child, nothing to brag about. All the buildings were the same ranch-style type housing with asbestos shingles. Walking into the front door brought you into an entry-way type of room with a big (at least big to a three year old!) silver furnace off to one side. I don't remember a thing about the interior of the house. There was, I remember, a friend of the family, her name was Gerry. She had two very pretty Afghan dogs.
It was about this time period that I came down with double pneumonia. I don't know how long I was in the hospital, but it seemed like an awful long time. While there, I was paranoid that I might get a shot in the behind while sleeping, so I tried very hard to always sleep on my back and not my stomach. The day finally came to return home. Mom and Dad picked me up in the car. My sister, Kathy, was not with them, she was about eight. Standing on the back seat and leaning on the front seat, I said to my parents, "When I get home, I'm gonna give Kathy a big kiss!" They laughed and said I wouldn't do that because she had chicken pox!
1954-
When
it came to start school, we lived in Kittery, Maine. I started kindergarten at the Frisbee
school. I remember some experiences in
that class.
There was a freckled-faced girl, named Patty, who had taken a fancy to me and was always trying to get my attention. Of course a young man at the age of five was aloof to such things! One day Patty was flirting with me and I spun on my heel and walked away. At the time I was holding my snow suit as we had just come in from outside. Well, the buckle on the strap snapped around when I turned and it hit her on the cheek. She cried. I must have felt pretty bad about it to still remember it today!
Another time, in that class, I came in from recess one winter day, thoroughly soaked from snow. My teacher (I believe her name was Mrs. Philbrick) had me remove my wet pants and I sat in the chair with a blanket over my lap. The humiliating part was that everyone could see my underpants through the open back of the chair!
We were living in what was called the Admiralty Village. It was housing provided for Navy families. It was there I met my first Negro family who moved into the neighborhood. I was glad to have new friends to play with, but I didn't understand why their skin was dark. In my young mind I concluded that they had been caught in a fire and I didn't dwell on it anymore.
I recollect having air-raid drills while in Kindergarten. I didn't really understand what it was all about, but I remember it was both fun and scary! When the alarm sounded, we all filed out into the hallway, got down on our knees, put our heads down against the wall and covered our head with our hands. I imagined monsters going down the hall while we were doing this!
