History

—1) I always consider Houghton College my first step away from a dreadful childhood.
“How can you say that about our mother?” a sister asks.
“The mother you had is not the mother I had. Don’t forget we’re 17 years apart.” (I was first-born; she was last.)
Houghton was the first religious institution that didn’t consider me rebellious and disgusting — i.e. a threat. There were people who wanted me out, but professors wanted me in their class.
I was the thinker, the one who said things that made even them think.
My father was angry Houghton didn’t “straighten-me-out.” I’m the only Houghton grad — another sister only did two years — after me Houghton was verboten.
After Houghton I returned home, and the badmouthing and putdowns resumed. After a month I left for Rochester — Houghton had been too much fun.
And much to my father’s angry dismay, I didn’t return the prodigal son. Enough already!
—2) The second step was my wife, the first female that liked who I already was. (She died seven years ago.)
There was another before her who liked what she thought I could be. She was a really nice girl, but I cut ties foreseeing pain.
My parents were always put off by my wife. She didn’t “straighten-me-out” either.
—3) Step Three was a lifeguard at Canandaigua’s YMCA swimming-pool where I previously did aquatic balance-training.
This was probably two years ago; my wife had already been gone five years.
That lifeguard said hello to me by name in passing, refuting my parents and neighbor Sunday-School Superintendent: “NO PRETTY GIRL WILL TALK TO YOU!”
I was dumbfounded; that lifeguard’s a pretty lady.
There were others before her, but after that lifeguard things started piling up. If it weren’t for those others, I woulda never cranked the nerve to say hello back — and much later, of course.
That lifeguard is from a town just south of Houghton (Wellsville), so we had things to talk about. And she isn’t extraordinary like my wife was.

• My parents were Bible-beating zealots, as was Hilda Q. Walton, my immediate neighbor and Sunday-School Superintendent when I was a child. Hilda, with my parents hearty approval, convinced me all men, including me at age-five, were SCUM. (Her husband was probably fooling around.) —Because of her, et al, I’ve always been afraid of ladies, especially the pretty ones. (Things are changing 70 years late.)
• I previously did aquatic balance training in the Canandaigua YMCA’s swimming-pool, 2-3 years so far. I dropped out for the moment so I could try dry-land balance-training at a hospital Physical-Therapy department. I still do the pool on my-own.
• RE: “Extraordinary.....” —I always told my wife “what matters is what’s between the ears,” and she had it. Over 75 years I’ve met thousands, and only three females were “extraordinary.” (Only one extraordinary male.)