Book Excerpt Part Two

My first memory is of my mother telling me to forget what I just saw… Nothing before that… even though it would probably explain why I wet my bed until I was four and wet my brother’s bed ’til I was eight. I remember learning that the hot stove was not to be touched. I remember getting four or five refresher courses on that not long after. I remember trying to find my little sister a place to live so that, when I convinced my mother to get rid of her, she’d have some options. I remember how big our first dog looked because I was just a toddler and the dog was our station wagon. Later, my family bought a dog that didn’t run on gasoline. I remember spending a whole day determining for myself what parts of a dog NOT to grab. I remember that time I felt completely alone; but, I was able to alleviate it by finding people and standing next to them. I remember every sunset I’ve ever seen… but not in chronological order. I remember the first time I heard the sweet song of the lark because that was the day I broke three bones in my hand when someone slammed a car door on me. I remember the first time I talked to a girl that I had a crush on and where the dog shit was that I didn’t know I was standing in. I remember the first time someone noticed that I like to make stuff up. I remember my first kiss… it was from Willy Nelson…