As I moved from elementary school into Jr high, the rules and expectations changed and with that I had to continue to change too. I learned so much during those 2 short years both from the things I got right and the things I got really wrong. Washington Junior High School has long since disapeared from this earth but my memory of the building, the teachers, a bully named Shawn, a girl named parley and my best friend named Frank still make up the best parts of who I have become in this world. I don't know that I would ever want to relive those years but I can say for sure, I am glad they happened just the way they did.

It is so easy to grow up in our world and never really understand how different ours is from other peoples experiences. How could we ever know unless we got the chance to experience those other worlds. Eventually, however, most of us end up getting glimpses of other people's understanding of God, religion or even culture. As my friend group expanded and I had the chance to learn that other people's churches and faith teachings seemed so different from the way I was taught in my home church on Davis Street in Ottumwa Iowa, I began to ask that basic question, "Why do I believe the way I do about God?" With in this story I reveal two things, 1. As a Member of the little known faith movement called "The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)", I was taught that God was more about love than fear and judgement and 2. Why I hate, I mean really hate, hot chocolate!

This was my first attempt to tell a story about my mother's life and her effect on mine. It is told in more of documentary style but it is worth a listen. It is one of my older stories first released in the book, "Imperfect Stories: Memories from Holt Street."