Thursday, August 2, 2018

My childhood--II

Was I spoiled as a child, the youngest of 18 cousins, 8 aunts and 8 uncles, Grandma Jones and step-grandma Bradley? Sure, absolutely, joyfully.

But I was also sheltered--both in a way that protects and a way that hinders.

When I was 12 or so, I asked my mother why I had to go visit relatives with them every time. I was old enough to stay home by myself, after all, and all the relative visits didn't interest me.

Here's what she told me--I swear to God, cross my heart--"what if we had a car wreck and died," she told me, "we wouldn't want you to be left alone."

Which meant, as I pondered it, it would be somehow better if we all died together.

That is 'too sheltered' in my mind and heart.

Soon after that I exerted myself for what may have been the first major time and only went to visit the people I wanted to see. I stayed home other times and played video games.

Well, of course I didn't do that. I stayed home and played with my toy soldiers or watched TV or, mostly, read.

Being an only child of older parents isn't always a cup of tea.

When I was a small child another cousin (which I realize I didn't count before since he was the son of my long dead aunt--my father's older sister) lived with my parents and me. His name was Pat LaFon and he was so much older than me I never thought of him as a cousin. He became a Nazarene minister, but was in his 20's when I was a child and he lived with us.

When he moved out I got his room. It was always called "Pat's room", even after I'd lived in it for years.

As safe and wondrous and loved as I was, I slept in "Pat's room" until I went to college.

That strikes me as weird in a way I can't explain.



No comments:

Post a Comment

Blog Archive

About Me

some ponderings by an aging white man who is an Episcopal priest in Connecticut. Now retired but still working and still wondering what it all means...all of it.