BLYTHE WANTS TO KNOW.....

(Welcome, Ireland, I love the group Keltic Thunder ! )  Anyway, we seated ourselves on her most lovely veranda and she asked me to tell about my child hood and growing up in Glendale. I told her I was too wordy to go into all that as we would be there forever.  She said that she loved detail and, perhaps, we could do it in sessions.  I began by telling her I was not a natural born American..I was a C-Section !   "I was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and like you, I am an only child for the same reasons as your Mom's.  The first five years of my life were spent in our country home a few miles out of Tulsa.  There were a few houses scattered about, but mostly farm land.  I became fascinated with most every thing that moved..like the hay balers.  My mom's sheets blowing in the wind scared me.  When I was five, my Father was transferred to the Los Angeles office of Amerada Petroleum where he eventually became their chief accountant.  They bought a middle class house in a middle class neighborhood and our street, Norton St., was well stocked with all kinds and ages of kids, including a bully who made my life miserable; I was deathly afraid of him.  He was about five years older than I and he picked on me because he knew he could scare me.  My first few years in elementery school were very traumatic.  I simply was afraid of my teachers and I wanted my Mother,  I grew out of that.  My parents gave me pretty much free reign as it was not a dangerous time back then.  One time I turned up missing and the neighbors searched for me and found me sitting on my tricycle on busy San Fernando Road,  I was watching the signal lights change colors.  We moved to upper Glendale and I entered puberty with all of its upsets.  I became a little punk in looks, trying to re-invent myself.  This alienated me from my Dad and there were about three years when I absolutely felt un-wanted.  A very nice man named Bob Key moved in up the street and we became good friends.  He taught me alot.  When he passed away un-expectedly, I  became very angry.  I needed to beat something to death and so I chose what I resented most: school teachers and their "try to fool you"  tests.  I waged war on them and spent a number of years studying night and day in order get back at those who wanted to show how stupid I was.  That was the way I thought back then.  I had a 4.0 G.P.A in high school and dropped an A-Bomb on the equivelant of the S.A.T. today.  I received  scholarship to the University of Illinois and took my Ph.D in Psychology there.  Eventually, I opened my own practice in San Francisco and was very fortunate there.  Years of seeing people in all sorts of trouble took its toll on me, so I closed my business and retired. Then, I met you and here we are.....how was that?"  She replied:  "That was the most intersting life's story I ever heard;  you should write a book...I would help you"  I expressed my appreciation, but did not feel like that right now....I just want to be with you..if that is OK......"'That is ok..I will even let you drive my Pontiac"   She gave me a pat on the head and told me she was hungry and would make some sandwiches for us.  I said "Blythe, I want to hear your story too..when ever you feel  like it"    "We'll see"  she said and headed for the kitchen. I went out to walk around in her back yard...(to be continued)