But I’ll have to say that after going through an old box of papers, I have formed a different opinion of what was normal. These are papers I left behind at Smithwick when I moved on to start the “calmer period in my life”, when I got married, that my mother so carefully archived for me.

I look back on my early “growing up years” and think that I was a fairly normal boy. I got into a few things, but nothing much that I was ashamed to admit.

The following photograph is a vast array of traffic tickets I received during those formative years. They appear to be from 1970 and 1971. Some are badly faded so the dates and infractions are completely legible.

Ironically this letter from the Texas Department of Public Safety resides in the box with all the papers. I was a little shy about meeting new people, so I never went to meet with Mr. Frank V. Fisher, as suggested in the letter. They were nice enough to not follow up with revoking my driving privileges either.

Cruising the UT Drag

The story directly below didn’t involve a ticket, just a letter having me come in to the Austin Police Department, oh well it’s in that story.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/729839877052650/permalink/2175166369186653/

The next story was a little earlier and involved a citation being issued, but I settled it “out of court, as they say”.

A Minor in Possession

https://www.facebook.com/groups/729839877052650/permalink/2181589261877697/

This story, that I wrote a few weeks ago is probably one of the tickets in the pile.

The Motorcycle Cop

https://www.facebook.com/groups/729839877052650/permalink/2876839989019284/

I’m not sure there was an actual ticket issued in this case below. I don’t remember ever seeing one.

When Dean Came Home From Boot Camp

https://www.facebook.com/groups/729839877052650/permalink/2929757817060834/

Why in the world did my mother keep all these things? Was it so one day she could show me that I wasn’t a perfect angel of a son? Actually, I think she saw me as being just another wild kid that grew up in Smithwick. I’m glad she saved them. They help bring back a lot of memories.