No Longer Subject to Their Rules

Mike, Bobby, Gary, Gary, Johnny, and Ronnie were shoved to the back burner of my heart when Lynnette came into my life. We all loved her, but for me, she was all consuming. I couldn't wait to see her when I got up in the morning and as soon as I arrived home from school in the afternoon. I had never experienced this kind of love before.

Judy, me, Lynnette, Orville, Mother, circa 1961

Within a year of Lynnette's birth, Judy got married and moved out of the house, which was fine with me because that meant one less person competing with me over my baby sister. One down, two remaining, but they were her parents and necessary for obvious reasons, however, Mother did get in my way more than I liked. Lynnette was Daddy's Girl and she, in turn, adored him. I was becoming very fond of him as well.

In the summer of 1961 I was closing in on sixteen and life was good at 7320 Austin Drive, until...

I realized that (1) I knew so much more than my mother and stepdad--the older I got, the less smart they became-- and (2) I was no longer subject to their rules of the house.