MY LIFE
May 22, 1955
I was born today. My mother’s name is Shirley Ann (Carroll) Strickland because she married my dad Charles Vaiden Strickland, Sr. He gave me his name so I am a junior. I wonder what that means. Will I be like him or will I be someone else. Only time will tell. I was born in Zebulon North Carolina. My doctor is Dr. Thomas and I was born in his clinic which is in his house. It must be a big house.
May 22, 1956
Today I am one year old. I don’t really know the difference do I? I wonder if I had a birthday party. Someone knows. Or maybe they were all too busy to give me one.
May 22, 1957
Today I am two years old. I’m starting to remember things that I do and things that my mama tells me. I had to start remembering and listening because mama says when I don't listen to what she says I'm gonna get a spanking, At first I didn't know what a spanking was but it didn't take me long to find out that I didn't like them not nary a bit. My granddaddy says not nary a bit all the time, so I do too. Mama says I talk up a storm, but she wishes I would not talk to her so early in the morning. It's morning, I just woke up and all I want to do is talk, because I haven't said anything all night. Just talk to me, please. Along with all this other stuff I've had to learn I have to learn to be quiet because I have a little sister now; her name is Deborah Ann Strickland. Everyone calls her Debbie for short. Mama says I have to be quiet so Debbie can sleep, but I like to wake her up and watch the faces she makes when I yell boo. Then mama comes in a guess what, I get a spanking. I didn't do anything wrong, I was only playing with my sister. I like her but not when she makes me get spankings. Also I’m just a little jealous. She gets more attention than me. But she cries a lot too. I guess its OK, but if she don't stop she's gonna get a spanking from me. Mama says you can't spank babies, that don't seem fair to me. When mama tells me to stop doing something and I don't I get a spanking, so when Debbie don't stop crying when mama tells her to, then she should get a spanking too. Only fair right.
May 22, 1958
Hey I’m three years old today. Life is starting to get tough, all this walking by yourself and playing by yourself and trying to talk to myself. I would talk to the grownups but they don't seem to understand much that I try to say, either that or they are just ignoring me. I heard my grandma say that she just ignores people she don't want to listen to. I just want to talk to them but they speak a different language. Uncle Charles tells me t shut up and I understand that part but I don't know what a little shit is. Like I said, a different language. They won't tell me what it means either. I found out though the hard way, mama was talking to grandma the other day and Debbie was crying and I said, shut up you little shit, and guess what another spanking. She wouldn't tell me what it meant either, she just said if I said that word again that she would wash my mouth out with soap and give me another spanking. Man soap tastes bad and makes your tongue swell up. Why is it so hard for them to understand me? It’s really hard to get these clothes on every day. I would rather just wear underwear but mama keeps putting clothes on me anyway. And I keep taking them off, hehehe. I got a little brother now too, his name is Michael Allen Strickland, what a cute kid; he looks a lot like me when I was that little, at least that’s what grandma says. We are living somewhere called Berkeley California. Where in the world is this. Daddy is never here, he must work a lot or something. Daddy and Mama fight all the time. Uncle Kenneth is living with us here and I don’t think he likes it here. Mama is gone lots too but I don’t mind, I just play in the yard and get dirty. I liked it better when Granddaddy Carroll would take me to the tobacco fields to watch him work. I miss my Granddaddy and Grandma.
May 22, 1959
Today I am four years old. I’ve learned lots of new stuff this year. Tying my shoes and buckling a belt and the best is to button a shirt. I guess that’s part of growing up and learning to do things for yourself. You learn to play by yourself and have fun alone. I speak much better but these grownups still don’t understand me. They keep telling me what to do and when to do it. I know when to go pee and sometimes I don’t have to pee just because they tell me too. Sometimes I like to take a nap but most of the time I just lay there and play in my mind. Sometimes I dream and sometimes I don’t. I like my dreams. I like Debbie too, she is fun. She is spoiled by grandma and granddaddy. Mama and daddy fight a lot, something about a Jeannie.
May 22, 1960
Guess what? I’m five years old today. I guess I had a birthday party, only no one showed up. We are living in North Carolina again, with Grandma and Granddaddy Carroll. Man is life tough now, so many rules and stuff. I can’t go out and play in the dirt like I want to, but I do it anyway and then I have to take a bath. Yuck. My friend and I play in the tobacco fields while Mama and Grandma and Granddaddy and Uncle Ray and Uncle Charles and Aunt Peggy and lots of other people bring the tobacco to the barn and string it up. Then they put it into this great big barn and cook it. Granddaddy says it will make you sick if you eat it, so I don’t. But some of the people here smoke it, wonder why that doesn’t make them sick. I guess there are still lots of things for me to learn and remember. And everyone is talking about me going to school. What is that? I don’t want to go anywhere, I’m happy here. Just playing and eating and sleeping and trying to stay out of trouble. It seems like everything I do is wrong and I’m always getting a spanking for something else I did wrong. Oh yeah, I got another sister too. Her name is Sandra Jean Strickland. Now she gets all the attention. When will this end. Little kids just keep showing up and I got to let them get all the attention. That’s not fair. Everyone says they are so cute and all they want to do is hold them. What about me I like to be held to. I guess I’m just too old for that now. Sure would be nice though, just to sit in Grandpa’s lap and listen to him tell me storied from when he was a kid and all the things he did. ASounds like lots of fun. Why can’t I have fun like that? Mama and daddy fight a lot, something about that Jeannie. I wonder if that’s where Sandy got her name. I hope not. I probably won’t like Jeannie; she keeps my daddy away from me.
May 22, 1961
Wow, today I am six whole years old and I don’t feel any different, how strange is that. I do feel smarter though, I been going to school for forever it seems. Mama says it will be summer vacation in two weeks, two weeks is a long time, gosh. I want to go play in the tobacco field. Its summer time and everyone is working in the fields again. We’ve finished planting the tobacco so now it’s time to go fishing with granddaddy, he sure knows a lot about fishing. He always catches the biggest fish and I catch the little ones, he’s says I need to be quiet and not to pull the pole so high. I just like to watch that thing on the line splash when it hits the water. Granddaddy says those rings in the water are called ripples and they scare off the fish, so that is why I need to sit still, be quiet and not make any splashes. I like to go fishing with my granddaddy but he sure takes the fun out of it. But he is my granddaddy and I love him.
I was born today. My mother’s name is Shirley Ann (Carroll) Strickland because she married my dad Charles Vaiden Strickland, Sr. He gave me his name so I am a junior. I wonder what that means. Will I be like him or will I be someone else. Only time will tell. I was born in Zebulon North Carolina. My doctor is Dr. Thomas and I was born in his clinic which is in his house. It must be a big house.
May 22, 1956
Today I am one year old. I don’t really know the difference do I? I wonder if I had a birthday party. Someone knows. Or maybe they were all too busy to give me one.
May 22, 1957
Today I am two years old. I’m starting to remember things that I do and things that my mama tells me. I had to start remembering and listening because mama says when I don't listen to what she says I'm gonna get a spanking, At first I didn't know what a spanking was but it didn't take me long to find out that I didn't like them not nary a bit. My granddaddy says not nary a bit all the time, so I do too. Mama says I talk up a storm, but she wishes I would not talk to her so early in the morning. It's morning, I just woke up and all I want to do is talk, because I haven't said anything all night. Just talk to me, please. Along with all this other stuff I've had to learn I have to learn to be quiet because I have a little sister now; her name is Deborah Ann Strickland. Everyone calls her Debbie for short. Mama says I have to be quiet so Debbie can sleep, but I like to wake her up and watch the faces she makes when I yell boo. Then mama comes in a guess what, I get a spanking. I didn't do anything wrong, I was only playing with my sister. I like her but not when she makes me get spankings. Also I’m just a little jealous. She gets more attention than me. But she cries a lot too. I guess its OK, but if she don't stop she's gonna get a spanking from me. Mama says you can't spank babies, that don't seem fair to me. When mama tells me to stop doing something and I don't I get a spanking, so when Debbie don't stop crying when mama tells her to, then she should get a spanking too. Only fair right.
May 22, 1958
Hey I’m three years old today. Life is starting to get tough, all this walking by yourself and playing by yourself and trying to talk to myself. I would talk to the grownups but they don't seem to understand much that I try to say, either that or they are just ignoring me. I heard my grandma say that she just ignores people she don't want to listen to. I just want to talk to them but they speak a different language. Uncle Charles tells me t shut up and I understand that part but I don't know what a little shit is. Like I said, a different language. They won't tell me what it means either. I found out though the hard way, mama was talking to grandma the other day and Debbie was crying and I said, shut up you little shit, and guess what another spanking. She wouldn't tell me what it meant either, she just said if I said that word again that she would wash my mouth out with soap and give me another spanking. Man soap tastes bad and makes your tongue swell up. Why is it so hard for them to understand me? It’s really hard to get these clothes on every day. I would rather just wear underwear but mama keeps putting clothes on me anyway. And I keep taking them off, hehehe. I got a little brother now too, his name is Michael Allen Strickland, what a cute kid; he looks a lot like me when I was that little, at least that’s what grandma says. We are living somewhere called Berkeley California. Where in the world is this. Daddy is never here, he must work a lot or something. Daddy and Mama fight all the time. Uncle Kenneth is living with us here and I don’t think he likes it here. Mama is gone lots too but I don’t mind, I just play in the yard and get dirty. I liked it better when Granddaddy Carroll would take me to the tobacco fields to watch him work. I miss my Granddaddy and Grandma.
May 22, 1959
Today I am four years old. I’ve learned lots of new stuff this year. Tying my shoes and buckling a belt and the best is to button a shirt. I guess that’s part of growing up and learning to do things for yourself. You learn to play by yourself and have fun alone. I speak much better but these grownups still don’t understand me. They keep telling me what to do and when to do it. I know when to go pee and sometimes I don’t have to pee just because they tell me too. Sometimes I like to take a nap but most of the time I just lay there and play in my mind. Sometimes I dream and sometimes I don’t. I like my dreams. I like Debbie too, she is fun. She is spoiled by grandma and granddaddy. Mama and daddy fight a lot, something about a Jeannie.
May 22, 1960
Guess what? I’m five years old today. I guess I had a birthday party, only no one showed up. We are living in North Carolina again, with Grandma and Granddaddy Carroll. Man is life tough now, so many rules and stuff. I can’t go out and play in the dirt like I want to, but I do it anyway and then I have to take a bath. Yuck. My friend and I play in the tobacco fields while Mama and Grandma and Granddaddy and Uncle Ray and Uncle Charles and Aunt Peggy and lots of other people bring the tobacco to the barn and string it up. Then they put it into this great big barn and cook it. Granddaddy says it will make you sick if you eat it, so I don’t. But some of the people here smoke it, wonder why that doesn’t make them sick. I guess there are still lots of things for me to learn and remember. And everyone is talking about me going to school. What is that? I don’t want to go anywhere, I’m happy here. Just playing and eating and sleeping and trying to stay out of trouble. It seems like everything I do is wrong and I’m always getting a spanking for something else I did wrong. Oh yeah, I got another sister too. Her name is Sandra Jean Strickland. Now she gets all the attention. When will this end. Little kids just keep showing up and I got to let them get all the attention. That’s not fair. Everyone says they are so cute and all they want to do is hold them. What about me I like to be held to. I guess I’m just too old for that now. Sure would be nice though, just to sit in Grandpa’s lap and listen to him tell me storied from when he was a kid and all the things he did. ASounds like lots of fun. Why can’t I have fun like that? Mama and daddy fight a lot, something about that Jeannie. I wonder if that’s where Sandy got her name. I hope not. I probably won’t like Jeannie; she keeps my daddy away from me.
May 22, 1961
Wow, today I am six whole years old and I don’t feel any different, how strange is that. I do feel smarter though, I been going to school for forever it seems. Mama says it will be summer vacation in two weeks, two weeks is a long time, gosh. I want to go play in the tobacco field. Its summer time and everyone is working in the fields again. We’ve finished planting the tobacco so now it’s time to go fishing with granddaddy, he sure knows a lot about fishing. He always catches the biggest fish and I catch the little ones, he’s says I need to be quiet and not to pull the pole so high. I just like to watch that thing on the line splash when it hits the water. Granddaddy says those rings in the water are called ripples and they scare off the fish, so that is why I need to sit still, be quiet and not make any splashes. I like to go fishing with my granddaddy but he sure takes the fun out of it. But he is my granddaddy and I love him.
