Barrie Waldman - Marker:  

My early years were typical of the 70's California kids. My parents were divorced when I was 6 and then remarried other people. My sisters and I were latchkey kids in elementary school since my mom and dad both worked full time. My friends and I rode the busses all over the San Fernando Valley and out to the beach with no hassles. Nowadays, I would never allow my young child to do so or leave him alone at home for hours, but back then it was the norm. My sisters and I had a lot of freedom, and at 12 I began to stretch my wings as an adult. This scared my mom who decided that a more structured family environment would do me good. Between 6th grade and Jr. High, I was sent to live with my father and stepmother in Florida. My years in Florida were during a really strange time in my life. School, which is supposed to be the social hub of your teenage years was, unfortunately not that for me - although it was a very needed refuge. I moved to West Palm Beach in 1977 and began attending Roosevelt Jr. High School. My move there was without my sisters or my mother. I was living with my birth father and step mother and their family - people that I just didn't know. At first it seemed o.k. I liked the money that the family had and getting new clothes at the Palm Beach Mall. I really missed my family - my mom and my sisters, but I figured that the new situation would just take some getting used to. Soon stuff started to get weird. I wasn't allowed to speak to anyone - including my mother on the phone without my step mother listening in on the extension. So there was no way that I could speak freely. Then the beatings began. I would get a belt across the ass or hips for any real or imagined infraction of the family rules on almost a daily basis. I got soap in my mouth if it was suspected that I lied. My hair was cut off and I was humiliated and told that I was ugly and worthless. When I spoke to my mom on the phone, I would be beaten for "telling family secrets" if I so much as hinted at anything being less than wonderful. I was told that my mother didn't want me any more, in fact had never wanted me. I was continuously berated. I constantly had bruises and welts. After a couple of months, I was instructed to tell my mother to stop calling because it "disrupted the family harmony". School was for me a welcome place away from the insanity where I lived. I loved singing in Mrs. DuPont's choir class, but was never allowed to come to after school choir. I remember some of the real character teachers, like Mr. Harvey with his ice cream colored suits and matching shoes! All the girls were "darlin'" but the boys were "thugs and hoodlums" I loved him!! And there was old Mr. Dixon with the horrid raw onion breath!! I could have a "normal" life at school and I know that I had friends at Roosevelt, but I don't really remember too many people's names. Some that I can recall are Debbie Scafidi, Karen Ott, and Robin Decker. Also years ago when I was first got on Classmates, Todd Thomas got in touch. I remembered him from his pictures (he has a really nice looking family now too!) but I couldn't really recall him as a person. If you remember me, you are totally welcome to drop a line! Please don't be offended if I don't remember you very much, but I blocked out much of that time in my life out of necessity. One time I remember my father beating the crap out of me right there on the Roosevelt campus. I had gotten off of the bus had some time before school so I went across the street to the liquor store for a pack of gum or something. Although I was back to school before the bell, the principal Mrs. Weston was waiting on the steps and accused me of attempting to skip school. Despite my protests to the contrary, she called my father. When he came to pick me up for my one day suspension, he literally kicked my ass - LITERALLY- and dragged me by my hair all the way down the hall and out the front of the school. Nobody said a word to stop him, but I guess that abuse was just tolerated bac...Expand for more