.
In elementary school and middle school I had a great love and curiosity for all things scientific. I think that my middle brother, Darrell, knew this about me and it is why he turned me on to the Science Fiction genera of literature when I was… about 11. I do not know if Darrell remembers, but I do. It was summer… we used to spend summers… prior to and after summer vacation, reading. Our mother would take us to the library, when we still lived on Thrush street in Houston, often.
.
First reason, it was cool in the library and having two young sons on a tight budget? It was a great way to cool these boys down cheaply on a hot summer’s day in Texas. Second, Mom loved reading and books… as did I and Darrell. Every year I would participate in a Summer reading Program at the public library. Read so many books, during the length of the summer. Keep track of the books you read (they also kept track at the library with the history of our library cards). You kept track of the names of the books you read, and Mom would confirm the list.
.
At the end of the summer? If you read enough books? You got a Free Pass to the Movies! It was only for a matinee and a children’s ticket. But it was a free movie pass! Every year, I remember taking home the huge pile of books to read. They would sit in a stack by my bed, those were the ones unread. On the chest of drawers, by the door to my/our room, was another pile. Those were the books I had already read. Each summer we stayed in the bedroom, every day reading book after book.
.
There was a third… less talked about and more… dark reason for the summer hibernation, in our house, by Darrell and myself. Darrel and I were born in the later part of the 1950’s. There was a terrible dark stalker… that did his work in the summer… when we were small boys. Am speaking of infantile paralysis also known as Poliomyelitis… Polio.[1]This stalker did his work best during the shank of summer, from August till the weather cooled prior to returning to school.
.
I know that mother really feared her sons ‘catching polio” back then. See, I had been born with a problem with both my legs, and as an infant I had to wear these large steel leg braces. They ‘corrected’ a birth defect I had, with both my legs. We were not the only family, in Texas at the time, which feared polio… and kept their children away from other children. I have memories of trying to talk to other boys, my age, in the library when I was elementary school aged. They always ran away, when I approached them.
.
It was because they had their mother’s drill the same caution my mother did. Don’t talk to, or play with other children in the summer. Granted, it did end… well subside a bit, with the advent of the DDT trucks that came and laid down clouds of DDT to kill all the polio carrying mosquitoes. Our programmed fear of other children our own age, was replaced with the memory of us running behind the trucks playing in the clouds of DDT. Children packed the public pools, again. Parents breathed a sigh of relief. Kids, well we got to be kids again and play with other kids during summer.
.
And, I did play with other kids, some. I still spent most of my time, in my room, reading books. I remember Darrell teaching me how to tie my shoes. I remember him teaching me how to play board games… and chess. It is clear, in my head, almost like it happened yesterday. Darrell played a huge role in my life. Until we moved to Pearland. Now, don’t jump to conclusions. It was not the city. It was not the people. I It was our ages, that separated us. I know that now. Doesn’t stop me from missing him, even now.
.
Science. We shared an interest in science, my middle brother and myself. Funny thing? When Darrell and I were no longer constant friends, I found a new friend… out in the garage. My father. This is still about science, I am not drifting mentally (yet). Science with my brother was theoretical. We both read science fiction novels and enjoyed Sci-Fi movies.
.
My father, on the other hand, was working with science, out in his garage. There? Science was a tangible reality. He taught me basic electronics; resistance, capacitance, MHz, and schematics. We worked on broken televisions, bring them back to life. Modifying my Father's DX-500 transmitter to a thousand watts. Connecting his Hammarlund receiver and the modified DX-500 transmitter to a phone cradle and connecting to a phone cradle and using it to connect parents here in America to their sons in Vietnam.
.
My Dear Readers, I simply cannot produce content as quickly as I did… even a couple of weeks ago. The pain gets so intense that I am forced to stop. Take time resting… and let the pain subside. I am going to publish this article, now, as Part One. The next part will come later in the week. Once the pain subsides and I can sit up again.
.
As always, it is a great honor that YOU My Dear Readers come to read my work. I love writing for you, sharing and seeing your ‘Likes’. It means the world to me.
.
One last thing. I very much want to continue my; writing, posting, promoting but my impending move threatens our relationship. If I have to; sell my computer or put it into storage that will interfere with this relationship. I want to avoid any interruption in our process. I just need a little more help.
.
I have worked very hard and been able to (THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY AND KINDNESS OF MY READERS/CONTRIBUTORS) raise enough money for: first month’s rent and a deposit for the one place I found that will accept me. Now, I just need further assistance to afford.
.
The move itself.
.
[…] The Story of Daniel… Flashback! Part One […]
ReplyDelete[…] The Story of Daniel… Flashback! Part One: “Welcome back, My Dear Readers, to The Other Shoe. Today… this article will be, well, out of […]
ReplyDelete