I care about this film for only one reason – the last 30 seconds. But since I am here, I may as well disassemble the rest of it.

The first couple scenes are me walking around in our apartment. On top of the television, next to the “rabbit ears” antenna is a shipinabottle. The crafting/art hobbies of my father and mother did overlap a tiny bit. In addition to collecting trains – my dad built various scale model cars, planes, ships, etc. Some of which were inexplicitly contained in bottles. Maybe it was a 70s thing.

When I move over to the area by the couch it becomes apparent that I was a welltrained toddler – as I demonstrate that I can indeed wave and dance on command. I recall my mother used to proclaim that I was “dancing a jig”. In the very next, brief scene in my bedroom – my ability to entertain myself within the proverbial box is clearly evident.

Which leads to why I am doing these. Besides the recent need to document I existed and pass down the stories I heard as a child to future generations. And that is? Introspection. I was raised by extroverted parents with polar opposite and gender reversed personalities. My dad? Warm, empathetic, altruistic, supportive. My mom? Blunt, intelligent, insightful, creative.

So, who am I? An enigma I guess. Most people see my mother’s Mr. Hyde. Especially, creatively – where I push the dark, cold, honest truth in all its glorious absurdity for the sake of awareness and change. Very few people ever encounter my father’s Dr. Jekyll stored behind that façade. But THAT emotional side is what drives me. My thought process and artistic style may be within the realm of my mother, but the motivation and desire to comment on the world and its pain, suffering and inequality – is all my father.

Back to the film. And the therapeutic reason why I uploaded this video. In the last thirty seconds, one of the neighbor’s dogs is visible in their driveway. They were typically chained to the garage post that is seen to the right of the boat. One of my favorite places to play was around and on the plum tree at center and a few feet from the property line. Unfortunately, nobody ever seemed to notice that the dogs could reach that tree.

So. One fine summer day, I would be playing by that plum tree. And? Well, I was once told I had wandered into the neighbor's yard. But I believe the dogs grabbed me and dragged me onto the driveway. Either way, they knocked me down and I hit my head on the concrete and lost consciousness.

The next thing I remember was being in the emergency room. And unlike when I got stitches in my head after falling down a flight of stares – I am aware of, and remember, every second of this agonizing visit. Particularly the awkward moments when the doctor cut off my bloodied clothes to make sure all my important bits were still in their proper place. Yes, they were.

I have wondered why I don't have a fear of dogs or animals in general. Maybe, since I was knocked out, I don't have an actual memory of the horrific parts when they were biting me. Yay? At least I got a sucker for my troubles, pain and trauma. It was sweet, sweet orange. Oh, and as a consolation prize – the neighbors put up a fence.

Originally filmed on a Kodak Instamatic M26 super 8mm camera. Digitized with a Kodak Reelz and edited with DaVinci Resolve Studio. All products used were purchased by me for my own personal use.