Introduction

You would think that any change from our life in Phenix City, Alabama would be an improvement. That was entirely too much to hope for.

Childhood and Suppression

Any expressions of individual desires had always been suppressed because of the continual domination by our parents. My brothers and I had lived in a very oppressive atmosphere most of our lives.

Dreams and Restrictions

The only thing we could do was dream and that was severely restricted by being subjected to control of every aspect of our lives. At times being imprisoned would have been a blessing — at least we would have had some semblance of positive organization, in knowing what to expect from one day to the next.