The Places I've Lived

Originally posted: Thursday, November 27, 2003

I've decided to finally kick off my journal series pertaining to the places that I have lived. I thought about calling it the Story of Me. However, that's pretty much what this whole journal is -- it's the story of me.

My first pit stop in this world was Trenton, New Jersey. But, I'm not really a "Jersey Girl." My stay there did not last long. It's hard to get a straight answer out of my mom but I calculate that my father and her divorced when I was about eight months old. He was an alcoholic. I say was because he's been sober for 30+ years now. He told me once, at least I think he did, that he was grateful for Chris and I because he wouldn't have sobered up otherwise. But, maybe he didn't tell me that, it was only a dream.

I was my mother's third child and my father's second child. My mother had my oldest brother when she was 19 -- but that is a whole different story. That would be the story of Andy. The oddest thing is that I was named after my father. His name is George Robert but he's always gone by Robert, actually Bob. The house I was born into was a lovely place. I got to spend summers there later on when I met my dad for the second time. He was raised in that home by his Romanian Immigrant grandparents. I cried when I found out he sold it and moved to Florida. I'm not really sure why since it was never really my home just a place I visited from time to time. I guess it's because it was a small bit of history to me of which I have none being as rootless as I've been all my life.

There was an apartment after leaving the house in Trenton and my next pit stop, but I have no idea where. I only know it because I've seen pictures of me there. That's where John came into my life and made me his little girl. He adopted us kids, Andy, Chris, and me. And, him and mom had one more -- Johnny. Johnny arrived when we lived in the house in Levittown. Ah, but that's a new pit stop on my journey and best saved for the next entry.