Where does adolescence begin? I imagine that depends on the individual, and for me it was most likely as late coming as it could be, and as in most things in my life I would have no clue of this subtle transition. That being said;

I will start with the middle school years and when I began to see pimples on my face and when I became interested in earning money. At first I started by mowing neighbors lawns. Then doing other chores, like pulling weeds and doing a little gardening.

My next job was with my friend Frankie. We sold "The Sunday Times". across the street from (Saint Boniface Catholic Church) for tips. I remember that first week we both came home sick. The heat and the smell of the ink gave us a headache and made us queezy. We were more careful after that. Saint Boniface was our church and we took turns going to mass each week. So this arrangement worked out real well for both of us and we would split the tip money which was usually enough to pay for a movie ticket and popcorn and a drink. Going to church was also very important because in those days I believed in Hell and didn't want upset God by committing a mortal sin by missing mass.

A few months later I had my first news paper route for a paper called the "Independence". It was a bi-weekly route distributed on every other Wednesday. I folded and distributed about 200 news papers in neighboring blocks.

The third job I got was for the Anaheim Bulletin. I had to deliver that news paper everyday. So, I needed to get up at 5:00 am to fold the papers, put them in my canvas saddle bags and get them delivered before going to school. I did all three jobs until summer ended then I quit the Independence and a few weeks later I quit the LA Times because some one told me I wasn't suppose to work on Sunday or I was bound for Hell by not keeping the "Lords Day Holy" It may have been a priest! or not? I really can't remember but in those days I earned about $32.00 every two weeks and for me then, that was allot of money, My mom made e pay for my own milk because "I drank it down like water". So she would say. Now I drink coffee that way...

I really was a dork in those days. Everything was confusing and I felt like I was pretty much invisible to the everyone at school accept my friend Frankie who was the fastest runner at Fremont Jr.High. Frankie was very popular. He was one year ahead of me in school. I really admired him like a big brother. At school he mostly hung out with his jock friends and after school he hung out with Larry McLullan and myself on Olive street.