Year Eight - 1974

Ok, this writing once a week is hard. I get really bogged down in the other things that take up my current life and it makes me too busy to stop and think about what to write about my previous years of life. Sorry I have made you all wait so long for this year.....it's 1974 and things are starting to happen...

So, we left off with me doing all kinds of fun kid stuff. Roller skating, bowling, and seeing movies. Yeah, I did all that. In addition, I continued to take swim lessons when ever my mother could find new ones for me and my brothers to take. Around this time we took lessons at the YMCA and through the Red Cross at the local outdoor pool. Man, we took a lot of swimming lessons. As a result of these lessons, I developed a condition called "water on the ear". Basically, I had water trapped behind my eardrum and because I was still developing it would probably not drain on its own...so, I had to have surgery to drain the water and install very very tiny tubes in my ears to allow future water to drain. I remember having to travel an hour to Des Moines to have the surgery done. We got there early in the day....we had just listened to Minnie Riperton sing "Lovin You" on the radio in the car. I remember just being amazed at the clarity of her high notes and the lulling quality of the lyrics. Contrast that with the sterile atmosphere of the hospital. The surgery preparations and the ultimately being put under and wheeled into surgery. ZZZZzzzzz...... Once out, all I remember is being warned not to let my ears get wet for the next month. Jeez...that meant covering my ears in medical tape every time I took a bath. And no swim lessons. It was quite a production there for a little while... And then, I never thought about those tubes in my ears ever again. They say they just fall out naturally as you grow up.

This year I also had my tonsils removed as well. It's funny how I don't remember that surgery at all and the ear one is so clear to me....

This was also the year I was in first grade. Finally, real school! I had a homeroom and a class schedule with different teachers. No more pseudo babysitters who pretended to give instruction. These teachers were giving actual lessons. Learning to read. Learning to do math. Learning very basic science. Practicing how to write. I liked school. I like the social atmosphere. And I had fun there....this year. I was at Anson Elementary. I walked about half a mile to school each day....alone or with the neighbor kids.

I don't remember really making any decisions yet in my life. I just followed the schedule that was made for me by my mom or the school or whoever....I was still a soft ball of clay....and anyone could mold me.