As I have previously mentioned: my dad has a mental illness. Like anyone else he thrives in a quiet and calm environment. Exercise is good for regulating mood changes.

The best childhood memories that I have are of spending time with my dad, away from home.

We went for walks everywhere in the city. He knew so much about the history of our city.

Dad also has a deep appreciation of fine art. There were a couple of museums that we would walk to. We would spend hours there just looking around and reading the descriptions or artist statements.

At some point, we would stop at locally owned restaurants. Often times we tried food from cultures different than our own ( we are as white as Wonderbread).

In my high school years, I would frequently bump into Dad downtown. I was coming from school and he would be on a freelance project.

These times made my home life tolerable. Unfortunately the good times didn’t last long.

The usual stressor or moving target, was my brother. Although he had behavior problems and was hard to get along with, he was still a little kid. Dad did not understand him or tolerate baby bro (BB going forward ) odd tendencies.

I will write more about BB and Dad in a future essay. The interpersonal conflicts with my family made home a scary and out-of-control place for BB and me.