It's About Me!

By Ronnie Gregory

Someone said, "We come into and go out of this world alone, but the quality of our lives depends upon the people we touch along the way. Blood and bones, and stones and steel eventually fade into nothingness, but the love between parents and children, siblings, and spouses endures forever. It is the stories of love that remind us who we are and why we are here."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ronnie Gregory
• Release date: Jul 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201459369

Book preview

Table of Contents

It’s About | ME!

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It’s About

ME!

By Ronnie Gregory

INDEX

This book is a memoir. It reflects the author’s present recollections of experiences over time. I have changed some names and characteristics, some events have been compressed, and I have recreated some dialogue.

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Foreward

Introduction

Chapter 1  Love struck 

Chapter 2  Northern California 

Chapter 3  Poison Oak 

Chapter 4  Mountain Gate 

Chapter 5  The Caves 

Chapter 6  The Tunnel 

Chapter 7  Tippy 

Chapter 8  Bridge Bay 

Chapter 9 Bass School 

Chapter 10 The Fight 

Chapter 11 One Punch 

Chapter 12 The Snowstorm 

Chapter 13 Two Deer Shot 

Chapter 15 Nova High School 

Chapter 16 In Love Again 

Chapter 17 Oroville Trip 

Chapter 18 The Runaways 

Chapter 19 New Home

Epilogue

The End

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FOREWORD

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Someone said, We come into and go out of this world alone, but the quality of our lives depends upon the people we touch along the way. Blood and bones, and stones and steel eventually fade into nothingness, but the love between parents and children, siblings, and spouses endures forever. It is the stories of love that remind us who we are and why we are here.

Who wants to hear that crap? Who wants to hear what I have to say? Are your experiences in the tiny envelope of time so noteworthy to be penned?

Why write a book? The number one rule famous authors will tell you is don’t write a book. Why subject yourself to that disappointment, heartache, rejection? You will have rejections. It’s inevitable. Hours of staring at the blank paper in the typewriter because the words do not flow like they once did. (In the 1950s the personal computer was not available, hence, typewriters.) You look at the trashcan, filled with wadded-up paper. Frustration sets in. You can’t help it, but a feeling of despair overcomes you. Once again you look at the letter with the big, bold word REJECTED stamped on it. Anger and sadness produce themselves and you ask yourself, why can’t I come up with words? Again, you ask yourself, Why write a book?

Everyone has a story and audience eager to read. Writing your autobiography is an opportunity to reach across the boundaries of time and space, set the record straight, honor the ones you love, and celebrate your journey. It is a chance to create your time capsule, an opportunity to leave your handprints on the walls of human existence, and shout to the world, I was here, and I made a difference!

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INTRODUCTION

The opening book, Barbed Hooks, finished where my family moved to Redding, California, and I was heartbroken because I had to leave the girl I had a crush on. To me, I was in love. I was at the age where a crush was love. Soon to fade away, but at that moment in my life, it was love. We were leaving a place where I was excelling in school. I was highly active in sports and performing well on the track team in Strathmore. Sports were a love of mine as well. Life was unfair! But you know, I did not realize it at that moment, but I was losing all of that and gaining a new life in a territory that was much healthier, and the opportunities were far more attractive. Northern California had more to offer a young boy. A lake that was so close to us that provided fishing, camping, hiking, unknown territories to explore.

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CHAPTER ONE, LOVESTRUCK

I was not too excited about leaving the valley and Porterville area. I had gained a taste of puppy love. To me, it was a case of love for sure! We were attending a Baptist church in Porterville and the Pastor we had resigned. We called a pastor from the church in Oroville, California. He accepted. He had a couple of daughters and a son. I immediately fell in love with the oldest daughter. Her name was Diane. I think she fell in love with me too. It all started innocently. I saw her for the first time in church, and I could not take my eyes off her. She noticed that and smiled. I melted in my spot. During services, we kept glancing at each other. After services, we went out of our way to be next to each other. I felt so excited when I saw her, and nervous at the same time. It had to be Love! Each week was like that. Innocent glances during church services. Ways to be near each other. Finally, sometimes, the families would get together after services for dinner or just to visit. We wandered off on our own then. We finally got to talk to each other. Mostly about where did you come from? What was it like back there in Oroville? I would explain to her what little I knew about Porterville. What grade I was in and what my activities were. We slowly became closer. When we could be by ourselves, we elevated to holding hands. In church, we could not sit next to each other because we were still so young. We had to be next to our parents. But we always had our eyes on each other. I had never experienced this feeling before. Excitement, happiness, nervousness, the anticipation of seeing her again. Strong feelings of attachment. We never kissed. Not for lack of opportunity, though. Many times, I had the opportunity to but failed for fear. I kept procrastinating. Next time I will kiss her.

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But, as fate would have it, Dad received a transfer to Shasta Dam. Oh, how conflicted I was. The world had just come to its end. I thought I was going to die! Things were just starting between Diane and me. I was always comfortable around her. I enjoyed talking to her. But it would all end soon. Dad had accepted the position because it was a good promotion. Plus, we would move to a much more attractive part of California. A place where they don’t have to drop so much pesticide from the air to combat insects that attack the crops. There were a lot of crops in the San Joaquin Valley. Orange and lemon orchards were abundant. For the sake of our health, it was a good move. At the time I did not think so. How could they destroy my life like that? How dare they squash my love life that was just beginning! I was devastated and so heartbroken. But it did not last.

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As soon as we got to our new home in Central Valley, California, just 6-7 miles north of Redding, my love for Diane slowly dwindled to a thought in the past. There were more exciting activities to keep me occupied, so I thought little about my love for Diane.

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We rented a tiny house on the corner of Hardenbrook and Meade Street in Central Valley, which is now Shasta Lake City.

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For a l0-year-old, his bicycle is the most important means of transportation you can have. My Schwinn, 1-speed bike was my best friend now. It delivered me to undiscovered territories that I