It started I guess tonight with "26 miles over the sea" as a reference to the Sacramento River being 20 miles wide in 1862 at one point during the floods as John Carr in 1862 rode the steamer "Gem" upstream from "Sacramento or Stockton?" I believe to Red Bluff or Redding? on his way over to Weaverville then. He spoke of the Gem's crew having to pick men out of trees and off of roofs before they died or starved to death because of the flood being 20 miles wide then.
Then I listened to "26 miles over the sea" by the "Four Preps" and it led me down this path I didn't expect to go on but I was happy to visit this "Old Self" of mine that I haven't visited for a long long time this fully.
We are all many different persons during our lives (at least this has been true for me). Until I met my present wife in 1994 and we married in 1995 I had lived about 50 different places in my life (all over California, Seattle, New Mexico and even on Hawaii in 1974 and 1989 and 1990.
So, in this sense every time you move you somewhat become a different person (at least this was my experience). Often your friends change (those who have proximity to you) because of distances. And then there are always old friends that you stay in touch with and visit with when you can, of course (on the phone or in person or both) (in those days there were no smartphones or home computers yet.
So, there is this time 1948 when I was born until 1973 that has a lot of memories and a lot of pain and a lot of near death experiences for me.
In 1973 I was 25 years old and had met my first wife. By 1974 I was both married and a father of a son. So, before this I was single or a young man or a child always in my memories.
So, maybe that's where I should start.
The first girl I fell in love with I was 9 years old and she was 9 years old too. Did I ever tell her? No. I was very shy then and never talked very much but I had begun to write by then and my teacher Mrs. Krell (Crell?) read my writing and told the class how well written my story was and I realized for the first time I had some talent as a writer. (But now, I see myself as a storyteller) more like my father and Grandfather before me who told stories by the fire before Radio and TV got popular to entertain the family always.
So, I learned from the best by watching how they told their stories of their lives. And since I'm like them both a lot I got to be a good story teller too. And Stories hold your family together so be careful how you tell your stories to your significant other and your children and grandchildren.
The very first time I fell in love (for a whole year) her name was Christina (Kristina?) likely in 1957 when I was 9 years old in Mrs. Krell's Class in 4th Grade. She got married and got pregnant and was the best Grade School teacher I ever had I think at Horace Mann Grade School then. But, we only got to keep her I think a semester then because she had her baby.
Christina was 9 years old too and a blonde haired blue eyed waif of a girl, very slim and quiet like me. Should I have told her how I felt? maybe. But I was way to shy for that.
Later another girl saw me in my Sunday going to church suit with my parents at a restaurant and I guess she fell in love with me or something and got her best friend, Penny, to ask me to go steady with her. I was 10 years old and not ready for that at all then. So, I said no because I wasn't ready to date anyone yet. But, I still had to square dance with the girl in dancing class at Horace Mann and I found this kind of embarrassing to have my arm around this girl dancing with her. I just wasn't ready for any of this yet.
But then I was 15 at Glendale High School when John F. Kennedy the president was assassinated. My thought then was if President Kennedy could be assassinated I could be too and I didn't want to die a virgin so I asked out a girl in English Class that I liked a lot from Alaska who was a blonde with blue eyes. We went to the movies and went ice skating together a lot. I kissed her several times but I really didn't understand kissing yet or any of the fine points so I found kissing sort of disappointing. I didn't find the girl disappointing but just kissing anyone at that point.
But then, I went out when I was 16 with a girl 21 from my church. We were supposed to go to a political rally together but wound up going to a drive in movie in my new Car. She taught me what French kissing was all about. Boy! I really had a lot to learn that night! After that, I understood kissing and a whole lot more than that!
There's a whole lot more here. But most of it is too painful to recount in some ways. All the girls I've ever loved in my life I never really stopped loving. This is what was always true for me. And I didn't date girls I didn't have feelings for. So, in some ways I never dated anyone I didn't love in this sense.
Some guys could just always sleep with anyone. This was never true of me. I had to have a real connection psychologically and spiritually with someone to get involved with them. Otherwise it seemed pretty meaningless the whole thing.
I always needed "A Sacred Connection" to girls I dated. Maybe it was because my parents were ministers while I was growing up and I was trained to be a minister's son where I could basically talk to anyone rich or poor or crazy or sane and always be polite and helpful and help them solve their problems like a minister would.
I think that's why girls would always fall in love with me so much. I would listen to them and always give them my very best advice regarding whatever problems they were having and often they fell in love with my sincerity and help regarding solving their problems.
Looking back now it is the sacredness of communication and I always felt God was present after I was about 15 in all of this somehow.
By God's Grace
Remember this was 1948 when I was born to 1973 we are talking about here (a very very different time in California than now).
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