The curtain rises on my childhood. I was a quiet, shy, yet dramatic little girl. I studied piano from age eight to eleven, and was an avid reader. I liked acting, and as I moved into my teen years, I was on stage in a city-wide spelling bee sponsored by the newspaper, where I came in 2nd and almost made it to Washington, D.C. for the national finals. I played two parts in a play at the age of 16, one as a snobby girl, then I had to change into being an old black woman who sold fruits and vegetables. I graduated from high school, attended college, and wrote poetry. I suffered a good deal in several mental institutions. I received certificates from two schools, volunteered at hospitals, theater, and reading for the blind. I sang in public, lost my child to the state, yet I fulfilled many dreams.