From Stage 1. Early Childhood – The Innocent in the Nest

I took on online class called “From Memories to Memoir”.  These were two of the assignments.

1. I am sitting at my little toy drum set in front of our house across the street from the playground. I feel like a joyous little prince. Life is perfect. But I also feel the sense of poignancy of where these drums will take me in the next 60 plus years. I smell the fresh cut grass from the park across the street, mingling with the smell of my mom cooking in the kitchen. I hear the dull thud of the paper drum heads and know that soon I will have to get real drums. But it’s ok because my dad bought me these and he will be there for me along the journey.

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3. I am the first child, the first son, the first grandchild on either side. I am practically worshipped by mom and dad and 2 sets of grandparents. Everything I do and say is met with oohs and ahs. He’s so smart, he’s so cute, what beautiful hands. The hands of a violinist or surgeon. What a mind. He’s going to be a lawyer or a doctor. I gushed with a little surge of energy each time one of these waves of praise came at me. The belief? I can do anything. I am very special. When I was in kindergarten I learned to read on my own initiative. My brother was 3 years younger. As soon as he was born I became his mentor. Then the teachers started on me. He’s so special. He’s so smart. I almost didn’t have to use my senses. I got so much praise for my facility with language that I felt happiest swimming in the totally delightful ocean of language. The walking dictionary.