MY LIFE - PT. 1 (THE EARLY YEARS)

My father was 15 when I was conceived and 16 when I was born. My mother was 16 when I was born and 17 when my brother was born. My father when he was a young boy lived in a Catholic Children’s Home called Sacred Heart Home for Children. Ironically, the earliest memories of my childhood were when my brother and I were put into the same Children’s Home around the age of 3. We stayed there for about a year, and then we were tossed around in foster homes for the next couple of years. We returned home for about a year, and then my brother and I were returned to the same Children’s Home when I was 6 years old and we remained there until I was the age of 12.

Some good things happened in those early years, and some bad things happened in those years too. I’ll start with the bad.

Those early years were laced with several experiences that would linger in my closet for many years, and as you will see, they had a profound impact on me as a teenager and young adult. Both my brother and I were sexually abused, and I personally was sexually assaulted by a 13 year old boy at the age of 7 (and not just once). Additionally, my home life was obviously a mess; but the one memory of my father telling me one day that “my mother hated us and that she never wanted anything to do with us” stuck with me for years in the form of hidden anger due to that abandonment. The other thing my father allowed me to see at an early age was go-go dancers that were for the most part nude. He was a bartender at the club and whenever we would go home to visit, we would be taken to work with him on most occasions. Now, as you can imagine, my heart, mind, soul and life were all affected by the above in a myriad of ways.

Now the good! My connection with God started in the Children’s Home. I was a regular altar boy for daily services and many times twice on Friday and twice on Sunday. I started reading the scriptures as a lector during services at the age of 10, and just genuinely loved being in church. Along with that, during one particular event where I was trying to plant a Christmas tree in a frozen field in the middle of winter (another story for another time); I had my first real verbal encounter with God. I let Him have it with both barrels, and you know what? He did respond, but it was not until later that year in the spring. Like I said, another story for another time – but it is a great one!

The day that we left the Children’s Home for good, I told my father and then 3rd mother that “I was going back there to be a priest to teach God’s word.” At the age of 12 God was calling me into the ministry; but the enemy had other plans, because an hour later at the age of 12 I was tasting my first alcohol and proceeded to get hammered for the 1st of many times to come in my young life. It seemed to ease the pain a lot, but many of us know about that deception – don’t we? This is where I’ll leave off; and will discuss the teenage years and young adult life tomorrow.

Until then – Don’t fall asleep in the tub with your hair dryer on! :-) Yikes!!

In His Love,

Richie