The Retro Years

My Birth

Oct 31, 1997

This is the day that I came into this world. I was born breathing too fast, and I had to be incubated and watched closely. This differs to my health now, because I have not had any serious health consequences since then, but I did get asthma and bronchitis later on.

My brother assaults me with literature

Nov 17, 1997

As my older brother, Nicholas, tries to read a book to me, I break out into tears. I've been told that Nick would deliberately try to make me cry by: taking my binky, dropping me, taking away my bottle, and other things. Even though he did these things, we became close as we grew up.

I don't like horses

May 19, 1998

My brother and I ride a toy horse at the same time, even though the sign says "Only One Rider At A Time." I then begin to cry, and my mom comes over to console me. It doesn't seem like I enjoyed being forced to ride the horse, just like I do not enjoy doing things I have no desire to do.

I meet the Easter Bunny for the first time

Apr 4, 1999

With my brother at my side in his maroon jacket, I stare curiously at this large bunny, as I wear my multi-colored jacket. This meeting took place at the Kenilworth park on the baseball field. This extraordinarily large bunny mesmerized me and may foreshadow a bunny encounter in the future.

Roadtrip

Jul 16, 1999

We drive all the way to Disney World from Kenilworth, New Jersey, and this roadtrip left me exhausted. Whenever we went on roadtrips, Nick and I would watch BeetleJuice or Scooby Doo, and I can still remember each movie as vividly as ever. We would also play our gameboys, which would challenge us to do better in the game than the other. These roadtrips helped strengthen our bond.

Getting settled

Jul 16, 1999

Nick and I get comfortable in our hotel room, and we lie down on the bed to watch some tv. Whenever we stayed at a hotel, it seemed as if the hotel room was way nicer than our house, but as I've grown I've seen that that is not very true.

Disney

Period: Jul 16, 1999 to Dec 31, 2010

Between this timespan, we went to Disney World approximately 100 times, more than anyone should. Now everyone in my family is pretty sick of Disney.

Meeting Tigger

Jul 17, 1999

I was very enthusiastic about meeting Tigger for the first time. I would always watch Winnie the Pooh at home, and seeing Tigger in person probably strengthened my imagination. Nick and I would meet a lot of Disney characters, and we would see who could get the most signatures of the characters.

I become an archaeologist

Aug 19, 1999

At Disney, I am hired to dig up the remains of some pretty neat extinct animals. Digging in the open sand pits led me to the feeling of accomplishment as I succeeded in a difficult task, digging up the bones of dinosaurs.

I try to empty the pool of water

Aug 20, 1999

While statying at a Disney hotel, I attempt to empty their swimming pool single-handedly with my bucket. This shows my perserverance even though there is an obstacle that I may never overcome. Sadly I did not achieve the goal of emptying the pool.

I become a farmer

Nov 16, 1999

Nick and I are hired as farmers, and we are in charge of the tractor responsibilites. These adventures to a farm showed me life outside the normal status quo, and it gave me insight to a larger world around me.

Caramel Apples

Nov 7, 2000

Nick and I eat some delicious caramel apples on top of a pile of hay bales. A bonding moment like this helps to solidify a relationship between two brothers.

I become Robin

Oct 31, 2001

I dress up as Robin to attend school on this fine fall day. I dress up as Robin, unafraid of what anyone could think of me, because there was a blissful ignorance of being only four years old. I appreciated Robin's humility; to be Batman's sidekick yet not want all the attention.

We start our trick or treating

Oct 31, 2001

My friends, my brother, and I prepare to go trick or treating, so we can rake in as much candy as possible. During my birthday we all try as hard as we can to work together to find the best houses for candy. This shows my ability to work with others.

Moving

Jun 26, 2002

We arrive at our new house in Pennsylvania ready for the new adventures to come. This is our first step in moving away from our family, because both my mom and my dad's family lived within an hour or closer to us. This shows our greater isolation from our family, whom we used to always be around.

Calling out to Santa

Dec 10, 2002

I have written my letter to Santa, and I am ready to mail it off to him. I'm excited for Santa to bring me presents, which was my only care in the world at the time.

Christmas at Aunt Karen's

Dec 24, 2002

My dad's side of the family with me and Nick gather under the highly decorated Christmas tree, eager for Christmas Day tomorrow. The lot of us in the picture would hang out all of the time. We would play Nintendo 64 for hours, create games to play around our aunt's house, and mess around with the adults.

Catching animals

Jun 13, 2003

My brother and I with grand smiles after catching a rabbit; there was a rabbit nest under my friend John's house. Catching a rabbit is no easy feat, yet we were successful due to our determination.

Posing with our catch of the day

Jun 20, 2004

My brother and I pose next to a captured Jaws in Disney World. Nick and I would share experiences in our lives that would emit varying emotions, even the fear that Jaws wills into a seven year old boy.

Moving to Florida

Jul 18, 2004

We finally just move closer to Disney World. In the picture my brother and I stand at the top of the sombrero at Souch of the Border, South Carolina. The top of this sombrero shows us all of the people that have gone through the same place we are standing at. It gives us perspective to how large it is out in the world.

Finally in Florida

Jul 19, 2004

We finally reach Florida, and a whole new life begins.