Alone-With-My-Thoughts

When you were five, what did you want to be when you grew up?

At five, I was only thinking about playing outside, making friends and how sitting in bath water was both relaxing and disgusting.

My family and I moved from St. Louis to a small town of around 7,530 people (according to Google). We were “in the country”. We had an acre and a half of green grass and lots of trees. A few of those trees held a tree house. From what I remember, I was excited to climb up and play in it. That dream was short lived. My mom said it was because the tree house was falling down.

Our land was a down hill slope so there wasn’t much to do as riding a bike could only be done in the yard. We had a corner in the yard full of scrap metals, beer cans, glass bottles and trash which was left from the previous owners. I remember often going down there and being inquisitive. Wondering if I could find any treasures. I never did find any, in case you were wondering.

I wasn’t a girly girl so I wasn’t really into playing with baby dolls or barbie dolls. I would have rather been climbing trees or jumping into the mounds of leaves that fallen from the oak and maple trees that surrounded the property.

My life was a carefree life. We ate home-cooked meals usually 3 times a day. My mom washed clothes on a ringer washer and hung them on clothes lines.

My mind wasn’t developed enough at 5 to actually have a career goal. I honestly know that my mind was even developed at the age of 16 because that’s when I became a mother. I thought, at least I believed, that a woman’s career choice was that to be a mother and wife. Oh how times have changed.