1967

8 years old.

Second-third grade.

Really impressed by the artistic abilities of Gary's older brothers, who can draw super heroes almost as good as comic book artists. We draw comics together.

We are featured on national television in a special on parents who married too young. I shake hands with Marlon Perkins, director of the Saint Louis Zoo and star of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.

Really hate my third grade teacher at Fanning, who likes to make us stand on our tiptoes with our noses in circles she chalks on the chalkboard.

Transfer to Wade, which involves walking through Tower Grove park to and from my Aunt Suzy's house.

Once we are almost mugged by a couple of creepy teenagers, one of who throws my library book, Jules Verne's "Mysterious Island", on the ground

Mostly it was a very beautiful walk, especially on foggy mornings with the sun slanting through the big trees

We move to Portis. Now my parents are getting divorced for good. We are really poor at this point in my life. I remember eating French Toast for dinner, but we never actually went hungry.

Mrs. Duetschle, my favorite teacher, third grade, teaches me long division. This was the height of my mathematical abilities.

Fall in love with Karen Gorden.

Karen Gorden had been around since Kindergarten. She was a smart little blonde girl with a flip and a penchant for purses with long straps that she would swing in an arc and then smack you with. Karen used to buy drawings I made of Frankenstein and I would use the money at lunch to buy Dreamsicle ice cream bars.

JoAnn elbows Gus
in the ribs