I was born in in a little town East of Los Angeles, out at the edge of the desert.  My father deserted my mother and me, while I was still a small child.  My mother, with no real choice in the matter, worked very hard at menial jobs and managed to support the both of us, if barely.

As I grew up, I formed an early opinion that almost every adult I came into contact with was insane and bent on slow self-destruction.  Later, with the benefit of experience, I began to doubt the slow part of my earlier assessment.  (We live and learn.  Alas, mainly the learning comes from our mistakes.)

The people in the little town where I grew up worshiped style over substance.  Most of the early years of school were devoted to training each student to to sing, to draw, to develop fancy, flowery penmanship.  The idea was that the penmanship would be an adult's greeting card.  The singing and drawing would be more of the greeting card.  The theory seemed to me to be that adults would judge a man on his ability to project an image of artistic panache over any amount of practical training or learning.  (Alas, some of us live but don't learn in the process.)

Since my mother and I were more preoccupied with obtaining three meals a day, (well, we at least tried) rather than acquiring panache, I began early on to search about for some practical means of earning a living.  Unfortunately, adults don't want to hire small children to do tasks above the level of mowing lawns.  Mowing lawns, alas, doesn't pay very well at all.

My first, best and only real chance to learn something worthwhile comes when I'm 14-years-old.  I'm able to enlist in a work-study program through the high school that I attend.  Against all school counsel, I go to work for a repairman.  Not only does the clod who runs the repair shop dirty his hands with manufacture, he (dare I say it?) even fixes used things!  By working for a repairman I certainly don't gain any panache, but I do gain a little money.  The money comes in very handy as my mother and I mostly blow it on food, rent and that sort of luxury.