Birth of a Hero?

My mother would tell you that just after I was born, the nurse placed me on the table (stomach down) and I immediately tried to lift my head and inspect my surroundings.

She would also tell you (as she laughed) that if I had had the ability to speak at that moment, I would’ve said something like, “It’s about time! Why are you all standing around? Let’s go!”

Since I was her first, she was later disappointed to learn that not every baby does this sort of thing right after birth.  And so she likes to tell this story as a way of pointing out my uniquely innate drive to, well, experience life.

I don’t remember that day in particular, but I do believe that Mom connected with me in some sort of weird mother-child way at that moment — mostly because that’s what I tend to say today:  45 years later, on an (almost) daily basis.

Welcome to my life. If you’re reading this, it’s probably because you are a close friend/family member whose morbid sense of curiosity has gotten the best of you.  (As in “I’ve always wondered what was wrong with her.”) Or maybe you landed here after Googling “how to butcher a pig.” Either way, I hope you won’t be disappointed.

Sit down, buckle up, and hold on. It’s about to get interesting!