Of course there were the treasured moments as well. The return from the private school to my old high school at the ripe age of 17. Even the smaller - barely noticeable triumphs. Like hitting the baseball ball into the open field over a fallen sprawling outfielder (completely hung over I might add). At the conclusion of the 1980's when I was in my early teens, I played baseball on without the proper shoes. I detested the thought of converting to spikes. Also I loved skateboarding. However, slowly but surly, the roller blades became more of a staple among many of my peers and the skateboard fad had become pretty much obsolete. I had to learn to skate and skate well - if I was to be respected amongst my peers. That, more than anything, was what I craved as a youth - to be popular and respected. I had achieved neither entering the 90's. I had few friends, much less any girlfriends. Worst of all, I wasn't much of a basketball player or golfer (though I had participated in both sports for the better part of the previous decade as a kid). Add to all of this the emotional trauma I experienced on the home front. From 1990 on, it was constant fighting for me and my family. My sisters and I never got along. Inevitably, they both sided against me for the most part and in August of 1990, my parents followed suit......(cont)