Onaga, Kansas, when I lived there, had a population of 900 people. There was one traffic light in town and a 35-cent soda machine down the street from our home. A neighbor dog broke his leash and killed my rabbit the first week we lived there. I transferred in the middle of 5th grade and during a sex-ed class I passed out when the teacher lectured on the female anatomy. I was made fun of severely. To combat this I started weightlifting and placed 4th at the Junior Olympics. Despite the newfound strength, I was still routinely beat up by my brother. Upon completion of 6th grade, I transferred to Havensville Middle School, the next town over. There were seventeen boys and only one girl in my graduating class. I made the honor roll for the first time, played several sports and won a gold medal in the 100m dash. My father said this was a turning point for me. My freshman year I played trumpet and was last chair all year, despite several "challenges" to the upper chairs. My girlfriend Tina played flute in the pep band and for a brief time I believed that she was the only person who ever loved me. My brother called her Tuna. We moved to Manhattan, Kansas when I was 14 years old. My father was a preacher and my mother was a Social Worker. Andy Van Slyke was still my favorite baseball player. My favorite album was Nirvana's 'Nevermind.' And I still took Max, my favorite stuffed animal, everywhere I went.