In July 1962 we moved from New York City to River Haven, a brand-new Coop Apartment building in Stamford, Connecticut. I was seven years old. I remember that day when we stepped into the 3-bedroom, 2-bath apartment for the first time, as one of the the first tenants. I could still smell the freshly laid wax on the vinyl floor. This was our new home. What I didn’t know, at the time, was that River Haven would be my home for the next 11 years of my life. The critical eleven, the formative years. These are my reflections..
No Time To Smile
On November 22, 1963, I was 8 years old and a 3rd grader at Hart Elementary School in Stamford, Connecticut. Mrs. White was one of my favorite teachers, a fairly plump, white, motherly figure with a head full of greyish silver hair. Every day, all day, she always sported this warm welcoming smile. It didn’t…
In Other Words
My mom, I love her to the moon and back. But who doesn’t love their mom, right? She’s 88 years young, still sharp as a tack, and never let’s an opportunity to lecture pass her by. Small in stature, but erect in presence, her feisty Jamaican side can bite you in the ass if you…
The Move
I was 7 years old at the time, you know the age where you’re going along for the ride and trusting that dad and mom have everything under control. All I know is that we were leaving New York City and moving to, I don’t know, somewhere else. I was told Stamford, Connecticut. I’m like,…
In Search of James 