NON-FICTION | AUTOBIOGRAPHY

The Story of a Broken Boy

A Table of Contents for chapters as they become available

No child is born with a blank slate.

“The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” [The Bible, Numbers 14:18, New International Version]

The quotation above has an error — it should read — Yet he does not leave the innocent unpunished. Even if we accept the original quote, there is nothing about love or forgiveness when it comes down to the fallout.

If HE exists, he is a sadistic entity who is still pissed because Adam and Eve chose consciousness over mindless disobedience. Argh! On with the purpose of this post. The above quotation made it into the front of the original edition of the book that follows.

My story began long before I was even conceived, before my parents were conceived. For those of you who disagree, I have no quarrel. You can believe what you want to believe. Yet, since this is my story, you will have to bare with me as I construct the story — a true story inasmuch as any story can be true.

If you were to have asked my parents, or grandparents, or siblings to tell the story, you wouldn’t hear the same things. We all have deficits with our senses and about the things hiding in the shadows. Appearances can be, and often are, deceiving.

In the story that will follow, I trace back to the first meeting of my parents and include a bit about their respective families of origin. I cobbled together these stories from the tales told by my parents, various aunts and uncles, and other extended family members.

I did the first draft of this story and ran it by my siblings who confirmed much of what is to be found here, those things which they experienced and /or witnessed. Even a few cousins chimed in to confirm and add to the my knowledge of the time, place, and events.

It is not a pretty story. Sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and poverty, as well as suicidal ideation will find their way into the story. There is just one item that needs to be known before you start to read — I survived and thrived. I am 70+ years old with a wife and family which eight grandchildren.

The story begins before my birth and ends with my leaving home to begin my own life as a young adult. With that said, I hope you will read the chapters as they are listed below.

Chapter 1 — It’s My Life and I am Not Ashamed Chapter 2 — Teen Pregnancy Chapter 3 — Fathers and the Sins of Their Fathers Chapter 4 — I Was Born and All Was Not Healed Chapter 5 — Wanting to Be a Cowboy Chapter 6 — Abandoned On the Sidelines Chapter 7 — Returning From the Korean War With PTSD Chapter 8 — My Grandmother’s Gift Saved My Life Chapter 9 — A Child’s Magical Thinking Chapter 10 — Moving to a New Home and School Chapter 11 — What is Real and What is Imagination? Chapter 12 — Sexually Abused By a Priest in Grade Two Chapter 13 — Hiding in a Closet Chapter 14 — Moving Away From the Catholic School Chapter 15 — Needing to be Rescued From Drowning Chapter 16 — Irrational Responses When Anger is Triggered Chapter 17 — A Rat Bit My Baby Brother Chapter 18 — On The Move Again Chapter 19 — A Strange Response to Shoplifting Chapter 20 — The Lure of Western Canada — Part 1 Chapter 21 — The Lure of Western Canada — Part 2 Chapter 22 — Black Holes in my Memory Chapter 23 —

Note, chapters will be added until the story is completely told.

I want to give recognition to those who have been reading this story as it is being told:

Carrie, Block Wife, Benighted, Sweet Honeylu, Nat, Maddy Mirza, Milana Marsenich, Chris Floyd, Sophie Grace, David Weldy, JB The Talker, Adrian CDTPPW, Brian Lageose, and my most trusted friend Robert

I am also inviting others who read many of my posts and stories, who may have missed this serial publication of my story, to give the story a read:

Adrienne Beaumont, Michael Cappelli, Debra G. Harman, MEd., Spyder Darling, Jason Provencio, Lucy Weir, Autistic Widower ("AJ"), Jenine "Jeni" Baines, Taryn Ariel, and Author, D. Denise Dianaty