9 Mar 2016 Intro for “Looking for Home” by Michael Dennis Farmer for a family history. >rjk read
Let’s go for a walk. Memories are fickle and sly. They are slithering clouds of mist or smoke that change on a whim and leave you shaking your head. I am caught between a blessing and a curse with memories that go back to my first years. I recall things as clear as day with eyes wide open, only to prove to myself it just wasn’t possible. Other times I think it must only be a dream and discover it was for real. We moved a lot when I was “growing up”, a term politically correct but one which often falls short. I remember nearly all of the moves, save for my first year. By the time I graduated high school at 17, moved at least 16 times. I could speculate till Hell freezes over as to why there were so many moves, yet still not have an answer. The thing is most of those who could provide some enlightenment are long dead and my siblings definitely recall things much differently, if at all. It might be the late-in-life discovery of my having Asperger’s syndrome to “a ‘fair’ degree”, as one doctor put it. Or not! Either way, the memories are still young nestlings demanding attention. I aim to recall and verify them, where possible, to help tell the family stories. And perhaps, if I’m lucky, they may lead me to where I find my own ‘home’.
I recalled living in a certain house and watching TV one afternoon…”McHale’s Navy”. One of the guest stars was Claudine Longet, the wife to singer Andy Williams, and a favorite of our Mom. I went and told her Claudine Longet was on the “McHale’s Navy” show and she said, “Ridiculous…she’d never do a show like that”, so I pulled her into the living room to show her. She watched for a bit and went back to what she was doing. A while later I was suddenly belted across the room from behind by step-dad shouting, “Never question your mother again!” No warning, no explanation for his action…I had to ask Mom later, no...