Really late Childhood Post

Hey, questers! Kelsey here. About...a month overdue or something ridiculous like that.

Childhood seems to be the topic of choice.

You know, off the top of my head, I can't really recall any intense childhood memories. I just remember feeling unequivocally happy every second of every day.

I grew up with a lot of guys. I'll describe the ones that stuck around for more than a few months and that actually meant something to me down below. I was pretty much raised a boy so, even now, at 20, I'm trying to figure out how to be girlier. Luckily, around the 7th grade I became friends with Rachel and shes been a bit of a guide. I've learned what not to do from her.

1. My brothers- Seth and Ian

 My brothers are amazing men, now. They are both such strong, smart, talented young men that will definitely find happiness in this life.

Our dynamic was interesting when we were younger, however. Seth was always mine and Ian's favorite, but we had our share of fights with him. Seth and Ian never fought, but, then again, why fight with another when you had a little sister?

I remember, one time, Seth got angry at me while he was doing laundry. This was a summer and I unfortunately inherited my dad's genes: that being, my nose bled at the drop of a hat. Anyways. Seth got angry at me and as is the family's way, lashed out. The only thing in his hand at the time however was a pair of clean underwear. He slapped me right across the face with it and my nose began to violently gush blood. We were a normal family with normal family events.

He still tells that story.

Ian was a violent little thing. Always jealous of other guys, always angry, a sore loser. Your everyday problem child. He had his sweet side, though. We used to have a bunch of these little pokemon figurines and he'd always make sure I was playing with the cutest ones. I guess he preferred that side. He doesn't get angry anymore and is always bringing home gifts for the family. Hes a good kid.

We spent most of our time in the pool. We used to have a bunch of fish stones, those shiny stones that go in the bottom of fish tanks? And we would spend hours dumping them in the pool and retrieving them. Why? Probably because we were retarded.

2. Buddy and Zach

Buddy and Zach live 7 houses down from us. Yes, even now. They are step-brothers and pretty great guys, now. At least, they would be, if they ever fucking visited.

Zach used to be the joker. Always kidding around, although he was cruel about it. Hes probably where I get my meaner humor nowadays. I remember one time he told me my dad didn't love me and started laughing maniacally. I don't remember why he did this. He found it hilarious, though.

Buddy was the little outdoorsman. Always crawling under the house to get snakes and shit. He charmed every animal that came by. We always had plenty of new animals to charm, too, because we were constantly taking in strays. He used to balance on the roof and drop straight into the pool because he was hardcore, yo. I think the memory that sticks out most about Buddy is based in the woods behind our house.

See, we used to have these woods behind our house. It had this huge circle where nothing grew (to which we found out years later was created by one of Seth's crazy ass girlfriends. Fun.) and we would ride our bikes around and around all day. They built houses back there (Rachels being one of them. Whore.) and we had to stop. But, I always wanted to ride bikes with the big boys. One day, I followed them beyond the trail. I was running to keep up and in the middle of the trail was this HUGE snake. I stopped dead and started screaming. All the guys were there, but only Buddy came around to "save" me. It was probably just a black snake, but I was terrified...and he killed it.

Zach never killed anything for me. Whatta jerk. But, as we grew older, for a couple of my edgy teenage years I spent a lot of time with Zach. Hes an okay guy.

3. Brandon

Brandon is the son of my old bus driver and my parent's best friends.

Brandon is a dumbass. Typical arrogant country boy, parents didn't hit him nearly enough. But, he'd do anything for family. And we are definitely family.

He used to run around at our house yelling at my mom to feed him. "I'm hungry, ms. jenny. Feed me!" over and over again. He would get into so much trouble when she was on the phone...which was always. Eventually, he just made a sign that said "FEED ME." on it in big letters and kept hiding it where she would see.

4. Travis

Travis was a pip.  He was definitely Seth's best friend. He was always so funny. He was actually the first one to point out that a lobster cake tin we had hanging up looked like a penis. And now we can't unsee it.

He lives only about 5 houses up. I don't see him anymore and when I do its always a treat. I always joke and tell him to go home and he just smiles and says "This is home." Gets me everytime.

He sounds exactly like Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants, though. You're welcome.

5. Nick and Josh

Frigging Nick and Josh. They were closer to the end of childhood and beginning of teenagerism, but they count.

Nick is...well, we call him the fuck-up. He messed up a lot in life and whined so much that eventually my brothers stopped being friends with him. I see him from time to time and like to catch up, though, because hes not a bad guy. Hes a total sweetheart sometimes, just a little screwed up. Hes also the first real boner and penis I've ever seen. Completely by accident.

Seriously. Frigging Nick. He was like...he was just Nick. My mom had to teach him to walk on the toes of his feet, not on the heels, because he stomped everywhere. He sat in my kitchen during our 4-days-snowed-in-to-our-house-with-no-running-water fiasco a few winters ago complaining to me about women while he melted snow to take a shit. One night, we sat on the backporch talking about music and I went to get a drink, so he followed me. He must have been REALLY into the conversation, because I happened to look down and his pants were trying to lift their head to say hello! Then the very. next. fucking. morning he left the door open while peeing and I looked over wondering why the light was open and there was his little friend. I was like, 14 or something.

Anyways. Josh was his brother. He used to have these great manboobs, earning him the nickname manboobs. He doesn't really stick out memory wise, but hes a total hottiepatottie now, so thats okay. Hes Ian's best friend still and hes got a nice girlfriend. I'm happy for him! First one not to screw up too badly!

6. Brett

I saved Brett for last. He was in the same grade as me, making him the only one my age, technically. He lived just down the streets. He is the only one that doesn't still live in the same house.

Brett was great. He was funny, unintentionally self-defacing, just an all around great guy. He would come over every morning before school to eat breakfast and watch Bayblades with me. Whenever there was a snowstorm that cancelled school, an early outting, what-have-you, he would be at my house. My brother, Ian, used to spend days making these huge snowforts with rooms, standing room, cubbyholes. Everything. And Brett probably helped the most. Brandon tried to help, but, like I said...a bit of a dumbass.

He taught me how to play YuGiOh and let me win. He was so chill, it was comforting against the anger/hyper/daring/mean backdrop that the other boys provided. I just remember, mostly, laughing with him at the back of the bus from elementary school all the way to high school.

I saved Brett for last, because as a child I was probably closest to him. But...he's also the only one I lost track of. He moved out and I never saw him again. No online presence, no rumors, no nothing. In fact, for a while, I thought he was dead. Its just so unusual in such a small community where coincidences are frequent and theres a 7-degrees-to-Kevin-Bacon kinda deal (only its more like 3 degrees to whomever you want) to lose track of someone.

Until, one day, I saw him. Mom was out in my car just chillin' like a villian and I was shopping in the general store down the street. I saw his hair first...it was always this wild brownish red poof. I thought "wow, brett hair!" right when he turned around. I knew his face anywhere. He had grown a beard, but I heard him talk and it was definitely him. He didn't say anything to me, just locked eyes. I could tell he recognized me, his eyes became really clear and then they just glazed over and he walked away.


I consider all these boys my brothers. They may break ties with each other or move away or get married, but I know they all consider me a sister, too. The fact that I learn about them from them before anyone else makes that clear. My mom babysat all of them and its because of her I got to experience such a large family. Around the age of 13, though, I began developing depression. Thats also when all of my brothers were growing up and leaving the house, entering high school, all that good stuff.

When I was an older teenager, about a senior in high school, the bottom of my basket fell out for a little while. I decided that everything wrong with me and in my life was because of my mother and I blamed her heavily for my depression. If she only hadn't, if she only didn't, if she would have done just this one thing, I'd be more normal. I wouldn't be depressed and hate everything in life. Now, only a few years older, I'm starting to realize that my mother gave me a good childhood. My problems were in my head. My mother wasn't perfect, but I understand she gave me the same childhood her mother had given her. One filled with strife, problems, anguish, sometimes hatred, but always with an underlying, albeit fragile, bridge of love to connect our hearts. Looking back on my childhood, I am filled with nothing but affection and sympathy for my mother. It couldn't have been easy raising a daughter going only on your own mother's mistakes for guidance. My mother and I are closer now and she leans on me for support. Support that I never got from her as a child but I am not resentful about anymore now, because I know she never got it from her mother. I give her the support like she is a child and only hope to God I do not do the same to my own daughter one day.

My childhood is a defining factor in my life. I am still close to many of those boys and I still love each and every one of them with my heart. But, my mother is the reason I was able to be surrounded by these wonderful souls. She babysat them and there were problems, yes, but everyday was blissful and happy. Even in between the batterings and the beatdowns. I wouldn't change a thing about my childhood. I just wish I could have extended it.

But, then again, thats probably why I keep Rachel. Shes like four or something. How old are you, sweetcheeks? MAYBE six now?


Also, theres your depressing post for the year. Thanks for reading.