Curtis M

I was born in Spokane, Washington in March of 1965. Right in the middle of Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll. I was the last of 4 children; 3 boys and 1 girl. My father, Ron, who was voted "Best Looking" in high school, could have played football and track at Washington State University. Instead, he served his country during the Korean War. When he returned he met my mother, Lola, and they married when she was only 17. They got divorced in 1968 when I was 3. All hell broke loose after that. My father left for Seattle and got into real estate. My mother, who raised 3 of us kids by herself, worked very hard to support us - without any support from my father and often working several jobs at the same time. Following the divorce, my mother's mother, (Grandma) Millie, suddenly died of cancer. The family then went off the deep end for several years. Everyone in the family - except myself - either smoked, took drugs, or drank alcohol during this time. My mother struggled for a couple of years before becoming the first New Car Saleswoman in our state. She worked 12 hour shifts 6 days per week. We didn't see her much. I remember one night, when my brother and sister were supposed to be babysitting, I woke up around 1 AM with all the lights on in the house and the front door open. I was 5 years old. I was deatlhy afraid of the dark and of being alone. Well, all the lights on helped my fear of the dark. But when no one was home and the front door was open, I was very scared. I grabbed my "blanky" and ran out of the house as fast as I could and sat on the curb. I cried until I got enough courage to run back into the house to call my father's mother, (Grandma) Winnie. She said she would come right over. Before returning to the curb, while strafing around to make sure the boogey man didn't get me, I grabbed a can of my favorite food to have at grandmas, Campbell's Bean with Bacon soup. I cried some more as I sat on the curb again waiting for my grandma to show up.

I never fit in socially after that. Hmm, I wonder why?!

Personal motto: Relax... It's just a GIG!