Stories From Under A Bootheel (Rants, Laughs, and Tears)

AUTHOR'S NOTE Dedication and Acknowledgement

    This memoir is dedicated to my wife who rarely reads my work but wanted me to write down the stories of my childhood in a form my grandchildren might appreciate. Although, on second thought, I'm not sure I want my grandchildren reading this. (Kids, if you are reading this, remember this was a different time and place and you should do as I say and not as I have done. Better yet, why don't you find some good fiction to read. I prefer you immerse yourselves in the sanity of fiction rather than the insanity of reality. At least until you are old enough to find the insanity more humorous than distressing.)

This is also dedicated to all the individuals mentioned herein and whose stories make up this writing. These are all true stories as best I remember them. They don't necessarily paint me in the best light. I was a difficult child and quite full of myself. My wife thinks I still am — on both counts; and she is always right.

These stories may even offend some people, but I am opting to tell it like it was rather than distort the narrative to make myself or any of the characters look more favorable or to make things more politically correct. If you are offended, well, all I can say is that it was what it was.

I'm not even going to bother with fictionalizing the names anymore. I'm getting too old to keep them straight and everyone I mention is either dead or too old to care. Still, I am leaving off most of the last names to maintain some anonymity.

Also, I want to acknowledge @JessEubanks who after reading the first chapters of "Pretty Sure I'm Dead" made me realize I had a lot more explaining to do about my childhood. In a way, this book is a prequel to that one. So, Jess shares in the credit and or blame for my sharing these stories on Wattpad. By the way, if you haven't read Jess's work yet you should. Her stories are really good.

Finally, I am not ashamed of my life. I have done both things I am proud of and things I wish I had done better. I wish I had been a better father. Fortunately, my wife made up for my short comings and so the thing I am most proud of are my three children. They have all in their own way demonstrated the values my wife and I prize. My eldest in fact is the father to my two grandchildren that I wish I had been to him. I have been very lucky in my life as you will see, and I am very thankful.