Mama PC

History of Me and Mine

Chapter One

I was born a long time ago to very very young parents. We moved a million zillion times so therefore I attended 13 schools in my 13 years of education. In 3rd grade, I attended 3 schools. I was always a very shy little girl. Never felt like I fit in...and sometimes, to this day, I feel those same feelings. I was always the new girl in school. I wore different clothes than most of the other kids, too, and didn't act or talk like them, so, again, I was different. My kindergarten year, I remember that I could buy white milk for 5 cents and chocolate milk cost 6 cents. We lived in Webster, Texas at that time and I had one of the astronaut's daughter in my class. She did not come back to school after her father was blown up in the accident in the 1960's...I think it was 1966 - when the first space accident occurred where there was loss of life. I lived right there in the community where all those people lived. I don't remember the girl's name - I think it was Kim... but I still can almost see her face. To think, your dad blown up high up in the sky over the whole world! The year I was in Kindergarten, we lived in an old home in Webster, where, every night, after the lights went out, many roaches would start crawling in the screened in porch! We had never seen so many roaches, and I remember we moved out of that house as soon as we could. We moved into a church building, living in the Sunday School wing of a building my dad and mom built by hand. My dad was trained in construction and my mom and the older ladies of the church baked pies weekly and sold them to raise money for the brick. I, even at age 5, remember helping my dad lay brick and carried ceiling tiles and boards. During those early years, we as young preacher's daughters, would vacuum the church each Saturday afternoon, fold the bulletins, and then on Sunday's we had the opportunity to clean up after communion! My dad, every year, came to the school and talked to the teachers and told them who I was, who he was, and what I could and could not be involved in. My daddy was a minister and the church denomination he was a part of required that girls not wear pants. (This was common in South Texas Pentecostal churches in the 1960's-early 70's) One time he informed the music teacher I had in 4th grade in Tomball, Texas that I was absolutely not to participate in the square dances she taught during the music classes. (I didn't know this fact until afterwards)... the day she made me sit down while all the other students had a great time experimenting with the do-see-dos, sachets, and what nots. I do remember enjoying that music class, though, especially the one day we were all together to write a song! It made sense to me when each student went to the board and placed a note on the staff - then the teacher played what we had written on the keyboard. When I was in 7th grade band, one day the director got very angry with the whole band for something the drummers did...and he started yelling and threw his baton back at the drum section. Then, he quickly looked my way in the flute section, and asked me to stand up and go out of the band hall until he called me back in. Later on, I found out that he cussed them out royally and that he explained that he couldn't do that while I was in the band hall because my father was a minister!!! My dad really got around and prepared the way before me! Anyway, by the time I reached 7th grade, a young married couple invited me to their apartment and treated me as a "teenager". The lady, I'll never forget her, named Lori Crouch, took me under her wing... took me shopping for make-up (my mom never bought me any or allowed me to experiment), sewed me some cute short-sets and treated me like a young adult. It really boosted my self-esteem to be singled out and treated special. So, between 7th and 8th grade, I became more confident and social. My 8th grade year, still a bit shy, but enjoying my newfound fun self, I had the time of my life! To this day, I realize how important mentors developing relationships with young people is for their development. I would be a totally different person if Lori Crouch hadn't reached out to me. I don't know where she is now but I know that the marks of her gift of time and attention to an awkward, gangly little 13 year old girl have made a big difference in my life and I am very appreciative. I hope to repay her kindness by sowing seeds of affirmation and kindness into the lives of young girls I meet along my journey.

Stay tuned for another story....another day.... and get ready for some lonng stories...