I don’t know how Churlita has all those old photos of her family posted to her blog all the time.
I don’t have the patience to scan in my pictures from 1968 to the present. This one is the only digital image I have. 1970. Rocking the tangerine bunny overalls and the lemon yellow turtleneck.
[missing photo, will steal from mom's house]
This was taken while we were living in Boston right before we were headed back home to Texas. If I can get the story right, we were living in a basement apartment of the married couples’ dorm. It was at the bottom of a big hill. We have pictures of my older brother sledding down the hill. We also have summer pictures of us on that same hill having a little family picnic. I remember none of this. My actual memory, not flashes of intermittent images, begins around age three, maybe a little before.
My father’s first church was called South Park Community Parish. What a great name, eh? My dad has always been quite ecumenical and inclusive. “Parish”, to me, is warmer and more welcoming than “church”. Church can bite my butt. However, I can imagine singing softly to myself inside a parish. Blessed Assurance was my favorite hymn. I could also belt out a mean Battle Hymn of the Republic. Brandishing bayonets in the name of God with that kick-ass tune being played behind you? Victory was at hand, dude. Victory was at hand.
Earliest and best childhood memories in comments. Extra points to the ones who can still play Für Elise on piano or Twinkle, Twinkle on the violin. I still know my first chair saxophone “Star Wars” music. Every school band in the world was rocking the John Williams back in the day.
[30 missing comments]
