PAGE ONE
I grew up in a small, Midwestern farming community. Its population was and still is about 7500. I would not say that I was a particularly happy child, just content. I was content and precocious, always thinking of myself as an adult even at the tender age of 3. I enjoyed the company of older children and adults. But, I was a bit of a loner and remember playing with the local fauna in the backyard of my home in Oklahoma City (we lived there for a little over a year when I was 3, which is as far back as I can remember) instead of with other children. Much of the time this was the case, though I did play with the neighborhood kids on occasion. I played with all sorts of animals...turtles, frogs, and tarantulas were usually the soup du jour, though I tended to just observe the tarantulas.
One telling story from that period took place while I was at pre-school. It was playtime and all of the other kids were playing with each other. I was off to the side playing with alphabet blocks. Looking up from my play, I noticed this and wonder a few things. Why were the other kids playing with each other? What did they get out of playing together? Was it satisfaction? For a brief moment, I wondered why I was not playing with them, too. My form of play is superior anyway, I thought, obviously not realizing at that age that I was not normal.
Jump ahead to high school. A lot of stuff happened between my 3's and high school. I was a good student academically through grade school and fairly popular with my peers. I was not much of an athlete however, though vestiges of that would develop later. Later, I would learn that it is common for people with schizophrenia to have poor motor skills and balance. I first became symptomatic in 5th or 6th grade.
Just double click to edit.