Here’s my aunt Donna Sue’s first husband Griff. Then my aunt Cissy holding me as a baby, Donna Sue herself somewhat obscured in the back. Off to the side, those are my cousins Jada and Shanna.

Griff was this intense military guy, but always nice to us for the most part. My parents both really liked him. Although Daniel says he did get yelled at once for touching the hallway wall in their house — so yeah, this gives you some indication of the scene around there. My cousin Wesley was three years older than me and lived in constant fear of putting too much toothpaste on his toothbrush, for example. To the extent he would rat me out if, in his estimation, I was doing the same.

We stayed with them ever so briefly when moving to Georgia ourselves, in the spring of 1981. Which means I attended Kindergarten in whatever school district that was, from I think April until the end of the school year. Then wound up going somewhere completely different (I have distinct memories of these places, but would have to look up their names) when we got our own house, prior to first grade.