My First Memories

I have two brothers and two sisters. We lost Mom twenty years ago this year due to cancer.

I had many, many questions to ask her that I do not feel comfortable asking Dad about.

Like how they met, how did she feel when she found at she was pregnant with me, etc.

I have two or three first memories. I am not sure of their order but this is what I think they were.

I remember a place we lived that had a set of stairs leading up to at least my bedroom. I remember climbing those stairs. Dad says I pushed my younger brother down the stairs. I do not remember that.

Next I remember trying to ride my bike behind a furnace or coal stove – for some reason I thought it was my maternal grandparents house but my dad says it was probably my uncle’s house when my younger brother was born – Xmas eve.

And last I remember wanting to go bowling with my grandfather and dad. But I evidently soiled my pants and dad told me the only way I could go was to wear a diaper.

I remember being upset because I was a big boy but I must have loved bowling more because we went.

The last memory came to me when I took bowling class at junior college. I had just bowled 8 strikes and wondered if I got my skill from my grandfather – he bowled in leagues or something – seemed he bowled all the time.

I was getting ready to throw the ninth strike when I thought back to previous times I had bowled in high school and sucked.

I was thinking that if you want to do something you need someone or something to teach you.

Then the memory came back. I missed the strike and the last ball I hit a 7-10 split (is that right?). Never came close to a perfect game again.