Please indulge me, I think I may still be 10 yrs. old...

My wife and I have been considering having kids for some time. According to her doctor, the clock is ticking, and sooner than later is probably best. Browsing through some boxes, I came across this biography I wrote for a class assignment when I was 10 yrs. old (1980). I ask your indulgence as I post it here (intact as written), and wonder, what would I do with a 10 yr. old just like me?

Chapter 1: The Arrival

"Wah! Wah!" Hark! A sound of life! Oh, it's me. Stick around and follow me through the 10 years of my life.

It all started on a rainy Sept. 16, 1970 A.D. in the General Hospital (soap opera city). My parents had me. I owe it all to them because if they hadn't met I wouldn't be here, and that would be quite tragic (in my opinion).

Masked men all around me, just like in the movies. Suddenly, there went my food supply. Well. I was so mad I started screaming my head off.

I calmed down and was taken out into the world. You mean this is it? I expected a lot more, but I've come this far so I think I'll stay awhile.

Chapter 2: Wonderful One

An apartment! A dwelling! In other words a home. It wasn't much, alot of bricks and a staircase. My babysitter was Italian and my first word was agua (water). I was a very happy and contented baby. Not the kind that sprays when someone's holding you.

We didn't stay there too long, at least we stayed till my 1st birthday party. My first birthday party. How delightful! Party sandwiches! I thought we were having filet mignon! I'll make the best of it. I ended up staying at the coffee table eating sandwiches and cookies.

Cough! Choke! Sorry about that. My first year was plagued with colds. Colds, flu, and measles (tonsils too!) plagued my life with illnesses.

During my 1st year I smiled, rolled over, well thats not important. Anyhow, that year was very dangerous for little old me. The Vietnam war was on. I could have been drafted! I don't want to spend life in a beer bottle!

Chapter 3: Early Disasters (1971-72)

Being bad was NOT an irregular sight. I liked art and my art could be found on walls and floors. (Diapers were a problem). My worst crayon disaster was all over a white couch with yellow crayon. I don't know why everybody's screaming, yellow and white look nice together. The good thing about being bad was I couldn't get in trouble because I was so cute. (And still am). Vomiting was a problem.

Chapter 4: The Good Times (1971-73)

As I see it we are coming out of 1971. Well. At 24 months (2 yrs.) we moved. This time we moved to 27 Fairholme Ave. At 2 years, I started "school". (It's a good thing I could walk to the bus!) I also had quite a high vocabulary and was talking in sentences. My 2nd birthday came and everybody had a good time. In 1973 I got my first real bed. I fell out twice the 1st time I slept in it.

I could walk and loved running from one room to another saying "Hi" and "Bye."

Chapter 5: Lucky Three

I can read! Reading. My favorite book was The Private Life of Ben Franklin. I loved reading and read all day. I also went on my 1st trip to Kansas City, Missouri.

Ontario Place and the ROM were my favourite places. My third birthday and still no filet mignon. 1973 past, so on to '74. (I started camp too!) I also was curious and had a large vocabulary.

Chapter 6: Fearsome Four

At age 4 I knew what life was about. I ended preschool. It wasn't bad except for one girl who liked me, but I hated her. I did anything to get her off my back. I finally did.

This year I was no longer a cute little baby, I was a handsome young lad. Then "it" came. An event I was not informed about. My mom was in the hospital, and I come home one day, and lying on the couch was a baby it. His name is James Osten Mesbur [ed. note: getting married in July ]. I guess I have to put up with him. Life is getting harder, the economy's getting worse. His first year was "stunning". He looks okay. He doesn't walk or talk, only cries. Now we have four people in our family.

Chapter 7: Stoned

Jamie often looked "stoned" in the first months of his life. I thought he was mentally ill but he wasn't (too bad). He hated baby food, but liked eggs, spaghetti and meat. Let's move on. I was ending kindergarten, and I thought the oncoming years would be just as exciting. Boy was I dumb! The years got worse. School is your best friend. With a friend like that, who needs an enemy?

Chapter 8: Five

Jamie is now out of the stone age. He can talk a bit and his party is here. I am getting mad. No filet mignon! Well. I'm going to make the best of it. Everybody had fun and Jamie got all dirty. We went to see our grandparents in Edmonton. (We came back with many extras.)

At this age, I was at summer camp. At 21 months, Jamie knew 16 letters and some numbers.

Kindergarten came and was fairly good. Same thing with a girl as i preschool. I was quite intelligent. (And still am.)

Getting back to camp. In 1975 I went on my first overnight. Fun (I guess). Anyway, school was coming along fine. How can school be good, well, I'm only in kindergarten you know. Finally I graduated from kindergarten. In swimming I got my lvel IV red cross badge.

Chapter 9: Super Six

Six was a big year for me. I got out of kindergarten and moved to a different school. It was a good school, but it got worse. i also went on my first solo trip to Edmonton and Regina (big trip!). Piano was also and event that happened to me. A second language. Wow! The language I'm learning is Hebrew. Quite an interesting language. Skating lessons came that year too. By the end of '76, I had my beginner's badge.

Getting back to Hebrew, I hadn't started Hebrew till Grade 1. Well. I was piping mad at my parents because I was behind. I soon caught up.

Swimming was coming along too (glug glug). I got my pre-beginners in June, and my Beginners in December. The Museum was still my favourite place.

My sixth birthday was a riot. We had a magician over and he was doing a trick with some pigeons and they all escaped and started flying all over the house. After he caught them, Jamie sat in his cake and it splashed all over.

It looks like '76 is coming to an end so let's leave 6 here and move on to '77.

Chapter 10: Spectacular Seven

Seven wasn't so spectacular after all, but I've got to write about it because it was a year of my life, and anyhow, I moved up to grade two. Swimming was coming along nicely. I got my level 4 red cross badge.

A very "tragic" event took place. I stopped going to skating lessons. On my seventh birthday we showed home movies. In this year, Jamie was very chubby but that's not totally important.

Piano was NOT coming along nicely like swimming. I wasn't progressing (wah!). Before we conclude this book, Wait! I've got 3 more years to complete. I think we can finish the chapter. One of the good things that happened is I met my only friend that year who's still my friend today. On to eight!

Chapter 11: Eight

I'm back! This time I'm in grade three. Work's getting harder you know. This year I knew none of the teachers that taught me, not to mention they didn't know me (heh heh heh!)

I felt like quitting swimming. (Later it was school). I felt I was being overworked. I wasn't really, but that's what I felt like. (I'm a victim of laziness.) My mom said I was lazy. (Deep down I knew she was right). [ed. note: I still remember to this day knowing this was not true....I put it in because I felt it was the 'right' thing to do]

Getting back to school. The winter break came. I was going to live it up in FLA. This has nothing to do with school, but who cares? We got there on time. We landed in Orlando. (Our grandparents came too.) The next day we went to Disneyland. We had tickets for 2 days, but I had 24 hour flu, so I went the third day. We drove to Pompano Beach and I got lots of shells. Well, on to '79.

Chapter 12: Number Nine

Now I'm 9 and coming to the end of my journey. I'm in grade 4 now. Not much to say, except about my language arts teacher. Worst teacher I ever had. Always bickering about something. The school year came to an end and the Science Fair came. My topic for a project was solar energy. Everyone commented on it. Not about the writing but about the model solar house in the middle of the project.

I started piano in a strange new place that hundreds go to, called the Royal Conservatory of Music.

I also started swimming somewhere mew too. On to the last chapter of my autobiography.

Chapter 13: Terrific Ten

Ten came and so did 1980. What a busy year! First I went to Alberta, Hinton and Jasper. When I came back we had moved to 1 Burton Rd. I was informed I was changing schools and here I am. I have a new cousin. His name is Jake. [ed. note: recently came out, now writing LSATS on parent's request, grr] I went to a ski lodge (on the winter break) for four days. Then I headed to Florida. We drove to Sanibel Island. We also drove to Captiva Island. It was beautiful. I got lots more shells.

The USA election came and Jimmy Carter was outvoted. Ronald Reagan was elected. What some people overlook is the zero factor. The zero factor is where any president elected in a year ending in zero has not lasted through his term in office.

Well back to Florida. On the last day there we ate at a Spanish restaurant with live entertainment and excellent food.

I've finished my journey and I have all these pages left. Maybe I can fill them with four letter words. On the other hand...bye!


Thanks for your patience and advice/comments in advance