The other day as I was walking the dogs I passed the first house I lived in here in San Francisco, and I started pondering how long I've been here. Earlier this month I'd gone to my 25th high school reunion, up in my hometown of Willits, CA, and was thinking about the fact that, though I think … Continue reading Where Am I From, Anyway?
Category: The Penngrove Years
Wrong Orifice
"That's not an ear," the doctor said, "it's a vagina." The doctor's words put an immediate halt to my interruptions. I had sensed as I was talking that something wasn't right, but that didn't shut me up. It took misidentifying an orifice to do that. It's amazing how clearly you remember certain things from your childhood. … Continue reading Wrong Orifice
Pop Out (Dad, Part One: A Fatherless Childhood)
Throughout my childhood there was a recurring theme of unbalance, of the idea that I needed a father figure. Ma tried to keep men in her life for my sake on many occasions, often actively seeking ways for me to have a male influence for me. In my teen years I suppose I had a … Continue reading Pop Out (Dad, Part One: A Fatherless Childhood)
Good Grief
If all my life stories were of fond and amusing childhood memories I would have a much different view on life. I've had to deal with loss and grieving in many ways though, from pets to people. In May of 2004 it hit an extreme when I came home from work one day and discovered … Continue reading Good Grief
The Bare Necessities
In the summer of 1982 I had just finished fifth grade, and Ma moved us back to the Russian River to live on a nude beach for the school break. Not go to one, but live on one. Three years of living in Guerneville ended just as I started my fourth grade year. We had always … Continue reading The Bare Necessities