Reading, Sheep, and Dummies

While living out in the country, I became a very adept reader. After school, I would usually go to dad’s grocery store where they had a comic book rack. I spent many happy hours sitting on the magazine rack reading the comics. By the time I was in 2nd grade, I was reading at the 6th grade reading level – thanks to comics.

While we lived out in the country, my dad decided to try raising sheep. We had a small flock of sheep. Dad would get some bags of tobacco to mix with the sheep feed to help kill worms. One time we had to give pills to the sheep. Since we didn't have much equipment, we gave them the pills by hand. I tried to help dad by holding onto the sheep as he shoved the pills in their mouths. One of the sheep had a collar and I decided it would be easier to hold onto if I straddled it. But when dad tried to give it a pill it took off and I forgot to let go. I rode it for several seconds as it drug me through some thorn bushes and I finally let go of its collar when it kicked me in the stomach.

While we still lived out in the country, I got a puppet by the name of Danney O’Day. I spent a fair amount of time try to learn ventriloquism, but I never got any good. When we sold the house, the people who bought it had a girl about 2 years younger than me. Although I didn't remember it, nine years later when I met the girl and took her home, she claimed to remember me trying to impress her with that puppet.