MY EARLY TEENS

WHEN I WAS AROUND 15 I GOT A CLASSICAL GUITAR. I HAD A GOOD GIRLFRIEND FROM WISCONSIN WHICH IS WHERE MY MOM'S FAMILY IS FROM. WE BOTH PRACTICED GUITAR AT EACH OTHER'S HOUSE. THERE WERE THE BEATLES SONGBOOKS THAT WE PLAYED, AND SOME OTHER FOLK BOOKS. CHRIS HAD SOME OF HER SONGBOOKS. HER MOM WAS A GREAT KNITTER AND ARTIST, AS WE BOTH WERE. SHE ALWAYS APPRECIATED US GETTING TOGETHER . BECAUSE THIS FRIEND HAD SO MUCH ARTISTIC TALENT I ALSO ENJOYED SPEAKING WITH HER MOM. WE BOTH GOT TOGETHER A LOT TO TALK ABOUT ART, PLAY GUITARS, GOOF AROUND, OR GO BIKING.

HER MOM WAS A GOOD COOK TOO AND SHE INVITED MY FAMILY OVER TO THEIR FIRST HOUSE IN TROY. IT WAS FUN FOR MY MOM TO TALK TO ANOTHER MOM IN THIS SMALL TOWN. MY DAD AND BROTHER TALKED TO HER DAD AND PLAYED FRISBEE OR LAWN GAMES. IN THEIR BIG BACKYARD. MY MOM RARELY INVITED A FAMILY OVER FOR DINNER EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS A GOOD COOK. HOWEVER, MY BROTHER AND I BOTH HAD FRIENDS COME OVER AFTER SCHOOL ALL THE TIME. IN THOSE DAYS WE DID NOT HAVE AS MUCH HOMEWORK AS THEY DO TODAY.WE ALSO GOT TO KNOW SOME NEIGHBORS PRETTY WELL. WE HAD A BIG FRONT PORCH TO PLAY ON DURING RAIN STORMS.

I WAS BROUGHT UP IN A SMALL TOWN IN OHIO. MY HOUSE WAS ON THE MAIN STREET I SAT ON OUR FRONT COVERED PORCH AND WATCHED FOLKS GO BY. BOTH MY BROTHER AND I REMEMBER WALKING MILES HOME FROM OUR JUNIOR HIGH. MY FAMILY HAD A LOT OF FUN AT PICNICS AT THE MAJOR PARK THERE OVERLOOKING THE MIAMI RIVER. MY UNCLE USED TO JOIN US FOR SPAGHETTI DINNER EVERY SUNDAY. WE USUALLY PLAYED CHESS AND OR HAD A GAME OF POOL (WE HAD A LARGE POOL TABLE IN ONE OF OUR DOWNSTAIRS ROOMS).

OHIO WAS VERY HUMID DURING SUMMERS YET AS A YOUNG BOY I DIDN'T MIND IT. ONCE WE MOVED TO DAYTON WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO THE HIGH SCHOOL. I SEVERAL CLOSE GIRLFRIENDS. MY UNCLE ALSO SOLD HIS HOUSE AND RENTED A ROOM IN DAYTON AFTER OUR FAMILY MOVED THERE. I REMEMBER HELPING HIM CLEAN MANY AN APARTMENT AND ROOMS AND HIS OLD HOUSE IN TROY.

I LEARNED TO DRIVE A CAR EARLY WHEN I WAS A SENIOR I HIGH SCHOOL. THEN I DROVE TO UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL AT WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY. THIS WAS NEARBY WHERE MY MOM WORKED AT WRIGHT PATTERSON'S AIR FORCE BASE. I REMEMBER RELIEVING HER OF DRIVING HOME MOST DAYS AS I STAYED AT OUR SCHOOL LIBRARY UNTIL HER WORK WAS DONE. SOMETIMES I WENT TO MY WORK AT THE DAYTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY OR AS A COUNSELOR IN ANTIOCH. MY MOM USUALLY CAUGHT A RIDE WITH A MAN TO GO TO WORK SO I COULD GO IN LATER.

I REMEMBER RIDING MY BIKE AROUND THE TOWN, EVEN TO MY GIRLFRIEND'S HOUSE ABOUT 4 - 5 MILES AWAY. I DID NOT RIDE MY BIKE TO THE JUNIOR HIGH BUT WE WALKED INSTEAD. SOMETIMES MY PARENTS WOULD DROP US OFF THERE IN THE WINTER. MY DAD SPENT HIS TIME SELLING SHOES IN DAYTON AND MY UNCLE SPENT HIS TIME SELLING TOYS THROUGHOUT THE MARKETS IN DAYTON. THEY BOTH ENJOYED THERE FREEDOM AND THEIR PEOPLE-ORIENTED WORK.

AS A YOUNG TEEN I HAD DEVELOPED AN INTEREST IN THE OUTDOORS AND BEGAN VOLUNTEERING WITH OUT SCHOOL'S ANTHROPOLOGY CLUB. WE HAD ABOUT ONLY 6 KIDS GO ON OUTDOOR SURVEYS ON SOME WEEKEND DAYS IN ORDER TO BETTER LEARN ABOUT TO SURVEY LAND, OPERATE A THEODOLITE AND HAND COMPASS, AS WELL AS LOCATE SITES AND RECORD THEM.