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The Street We Grew Up On

he street I grew up on (266 East 18th Street, Hamilton) was a perfect mix of people and perspectives. It wasn’t a grand
Tplace, but it had everything a child needed to thrive—friends, freedom, and just enough mischief. I spent my early
years playing with the kids who were still around, even as some moved away. Al Parker, lived a few blocks away but joined

with us many times. He was an elite softball pitcher and developed a baseball game using dice that we spent hours playing

during the off-season. I was young enough that “girlfriends” weren’t part of the equation, but I do remember the girls on
our street: Cathy Fitton, Dinny Watson, Carol Parr next door, and others. Our relationships were pure camaraderie, not the

boyfriend-girlfriend sort of thing. Those days were all about play and exploration, not romance.

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