I got my GED in a psych ward. It was part of my treatment plan along with eating food, attending group therapy, and standing in the med line. I would have graduated with the class of ’79 from Wheaton-Warrenville High School had I not dropped out. I needed my parents’ permission which meant I had to come up with a plan that sounded like I knew what I was doing. It never occurred to me I could run. I couldn’t even drive and I didn’t have a job. I told them I’d get my GED an

My Dad wanted me to a dentist. I’m not a medical type person but I went along with the whole dentist idea because it seemed to make him so happy and proud. I actually gave him the idea. I won first place at the 6th grade science fair for my experiment, “Does toothpaste really wear down the enamel of your teeth?” I collected baby teeth from my siblings and whoever I could get them from. My plan was to brush these itty-bitty teeth three times a day with various toothpastes and

My mother told me to wash and brush my hair every day or spiders would grow it. She said that when they were about to have their babies, they would come and build a web nest in my hair and all the spider babies would be born on my head. I never questioned anything my mother said. She was a lot bigger than me and had very long fingernails she painted with “Hard as Nails” nail polish and she’d use them to peck at my head when I wouldn’t listen. Just the idea of one spider in m

I come from generations of list makers. “Gotta make a list” was a common household phrase. I can enjoy making a list for the better part of a morning. I feel like I’m lining up my ducks in a row. Really getting’ organized. First things first, I need to make a list. I need to find the perfect paper and pens and sit on my couch to make my list, hmmmmm… maybe I should check my phone. This is where I can get easily sidetracked and continue to avoid doing what I already know I nee

I decided I wanted a tall skinny burnout for a boyfriend to go along with the weed I was smoking. I preferred that he be a musician. And since I worked at a music store, eventually I found one. He was a huge “Allman Brothers” fan. I went along with the whole Allman Brothers thing because I wanted him to like me. The only song I knew was “Ramblin Man”, but I pulled it off since he was really only listening to himself talk about the band. I prefer darker music that you can slam

Mr. Espinoza would come over to our house once a week and teach us piano in the dining room. He had wavy black hair and a big furry moustache. He dressed in jet black polyester and looked just like a bullfighter if he only had a cape. We all thought he was super cute. I can only imagine what he thought of us. There was so much chaos going on during every lesson. Doors slamming, kids yelling, dog barking, and mom clanging pots in the kitchen. In the midst of all this, we took