Childhood memories - especially early ones - are shaped by parents and social milieu. In fact, I have very little direct memories of my early childhood. Most of the early ones are simply memories of what my parents told me about myself in those years.

I am told that when someone asked me where I lived I responded, "We don't live; we just trabbel." That was actually a pretty accurate summary of my pre-school years, and even to some extent my primary school years.

My father was "Field Secretary" for the National Child Labor Committee. His home office was in New York, down near Washington Square. So when he was in the office for a spell, we rented apartments in and around New York. However, during much of each year he went on extended field trips, publicizing, organizing, and lobbying for Child Labor legislation, including ratification of a Child Labor amendment to the constitution.

In my pre-school years, my mother and I went along on my dad's field trips, but when I reached school age, I had to settle down, at least during the school year. However, we continued to "trabble" with my dad during the summers and sometimes into the school year, so I attended schools in seven different places before entering the fifth grade. I directly remember being the outsider socially and somewhat lost academically at times as I attended all those different schools.