An Authentic Life 1.1 for pdf - Universalist Radha-Krishnaism

I laid in my
crib at night listening
to cops talk on the
way to the corner
precinct house as eerie
rectangles of light
from headlights
moved along the
dark wall. I bathed in
the kitchen sink and
played with PT boats
and frogmen. When I
was older, I bathed in
the big tub, and Grandpa timed how long I could
hold my breath underwater. He and I took many
walks together by the railroad tracks to a park with a
playground and wadding pool. On our walks along
Myrtle Avenue, he taught me to support local merchants
rather than big department stores in Manhattan.
At an early age, I was taught to pray before
bed, “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my
soul to keep. And if I die before I wake, I pray the
Lord my soul to take.”
That was real reassuring. Made me start thinking,
“What have I gotten myself into? What’s it like
lying in the grave dead being eaten by worms?” And
so forth. That idea of the temporary nature of life
stuck with me, and I still often wonder if I’ll make it
through the day. I think, “This is a good time to die--
doing what I love.”
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