The Wonder Years.

"Once upon a time there was a girl I knew, who lived across the street. Brown hair, brown eyes. When she smiled, I smiled. When she cried, I cried. Every single thing that ever happened to me that mattered, in some way had to do with her. That day Winnie and I promised each other that no matter what, that we'd always be together. It was a promise full of passion and truth and wisdom. It was the kind of promise that can only come from the hearts of the very young." -The Wonder Years.

When I was growing up, I was like any other boy. I was certain about many things and uncertain about many more. Unfortunately I later found out, what I was so sure I knew, I really didn’t. For me, these are the times I treasured because these were unexplored and so innocent---simply put, these were my, “Wonder Years.”

The neighborhood where I grew up was as suburban as suburban can get; a bedroom community where Dad’s went to the office, and most Mom’s stayed home.

A lot changed when I was in my early teens. My Mom went to work, there was a war separating our country, and we found out there were lands far away that could effect the lives that sheltered us. I will never forget the day I had to pay a $1.00 for a gallon of gas---it had been discussed for years, and finally the day had arrived---suddenly when we kicked in for gas, the dollar that would buy 3 gallons, now barely made a dent.

On our street we didn’t have a Winnie Cooper (the love of Kevin in the Wonder Years)---we had families with older boys, older girls, but no one I really connected with. Honestly, with the way I looked, there was little chance it would have happened, but like Kevin I could dream. And dream I did. I will never forget, there was a girl who lived in the house across the street from where I lived. There were many families that lived in the house and for the first time, there was a girl who was almost my age---she was older by a year of what I recall. If I only knew then what I know now---I would marry a woman with her same name.

The photo above is what growing up in Chesterfield, Mo was all about. Removed from the realities of life and sheltered from war--- we would see the rest of the world from a black and white TV and place our trust in Walter Cronkite; for me, and for many boys and men my age, these were our Wonder Years.

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