From the beginning. . .

If I start at the beginning - my childhood - it wasn't bad. I remember playing outside a lot, riding my bike, playing with the few neighbor kids. We lived on a busy street and there were 4 kids in one direction and 4 or 5 in the other direction. Seven or so of them were cousins. The other two - well, one was quite older than my sister and I and the other boy was sick - bedridden. We would visit with him so he didn't spend all his days alone. I was a quiet child. We lived above my Grandparents. Grandma watched us while Mom and Dad worked. One of my memories of that time were the Sunday drives. I didn't realize it at the time, but Dad was looking for property to build us a house. I don't remember it being a big deal moving from my childhood home to a new area. It was just another school. One I would be in just one year before moving on to the junior high. Now that I think about it - it wasn't the best year of my life. My teacher called me Tiny Tears. Guess that was because I was always crying. The start of my unhappiness? Perhaps. And here she is - the 1950's version -

Ours was not what you'd consider a joyous household. We all went about our business. My younger brother and I would cut up on occasion. We were always the one looking for a way to get the other laughing. The chip and dip fight? That was the best. My older sister and I always seemed to be fighting over one thing or the other. In high school we bought a car together. We alternated days of using it. I always wanted to go out - anywhere. On the days that were hers the car would sit in the yard. She had no place to go - but it wasn't mine to take. Looking back we all were leading separate lives under one roof. We all had dinner together every night, but I don't remember any "wow, today was a blast!" days. I'd just try and occupy myself till bedtime, then start over again. There was a time, in high school, when I'd come home and go to bed. Sleep until supper time, help with the dishes and go back to bed. I slept. All the time. No organic reason. I think I was just bored out of my mind. Sleep is a great escape. Huh, nearly forgot about that. When I wasn't sleeping, I was reading. I've always loved to read. Books, boxes that stuff came in. Heck - I still read the phone book. It's a great resource. You can use it as a map - trying to find a business on a road you are sort of familiar with? Find some businesses you know and narrow down where it is you are trying to find. Love the Yellow Pages. Just flip through and you'll find all kinds of businesses you never knew existed. Does that make me a geek? Probably. I'm good with that. Hey! I think I just saw a bit of JOY! It snuck up on me. I don't know if you caught it or not. I actually felt excitement about the Yellow Pages. It's out there for anyone to use, but I feel like I know something you don't. All you have to do is look. I'm like a font of trivial information, but my family and friends always come to me if they need info and don't know where to start. I like that. They keep telling me I should find a way to get paid for what I know. You figure that one out, let me know.

Like they say - let your fingers do the walking through the yellow pages :)