A Start

Today I start my blog. I live a somewhat normal life except that currently I can’t walk out the door of my home without fear.

I wasn’t always this way.

I guess I lead what can be called a normal middle class existence. I grew up in an average sized city where the largest employer was a mining operation.

My dad was a hardworking man who like many others at the time didn’t have a high school diploma. He worked of course in the mines. My mother on the other hand was a college graduate who stayed home to raise the kids.

The kids, my sister and me.

My first solid memory of my sister is rather strange or at least the circumstances are. I can vividly see her jumping up and down red faced, mouth open like a fish. Her sandy blond hair corkscrews away from her head. Hazel eyes popping out of her head. Her arms gesturing wildly occasionally stopping long enough for her to point in my direction.

My mother, the only other person in the room besides myself is raising her voice and looking at me with concern. She focuses her eyes on my sister and shouts, “You can’t shake her upside down! She is NOT like a piggy bank!”

“But, but, but she ate it all!” my sister Debbie whines. “Don’t put things near the crib where she can reach them” mom says as she bends over to examine me.

“I want it back! Daddy gave it to me!” she snorts.

“Well you can’t have it and shaking your sister upside down could really hurt her.”

I hear a door slam.

“Daddy’s home!” Debbie yells as she races toward the back door.

My mom shakes her head, rubs her hands on her apron and softly says, “What I am going to do with you? Two dimes and a nickel.”

I always did love the shiny stuff.