I can't remember my childhood.

Beginning.. or what I remember of it.

It all started one not so white Christmas with an high uncle on my mums gas and air and her Christmas dinner on his lap. She was giving birth to me on Saint Nicolas' day and I was rearing to come into the world. So much so that I was early even by over a month and was fragile, meek and not able to breath by myself.

I was born and almost immediately was vying for fame and fortune due to the fact that newspaper reporters had turned up and were trying to flog my birth on their front pages for an exclusive!!

I was shuffled around the place for a while after surviving birth, incubation like an egg or a chick and I am as strong as ever in spite of everything. I do have asthma, the odd freckle and as it turns out, the possibility to grow a magnificent ginger beard. All thanks to my parents and their parents etc, you know how it works.

Middle and main bit.

Anyways back to the fact that I cannot remember anything really from 12 downwards. I didn't have a traumatic childhood so far as I know however like all people in families, things do change.

I gained a step father, mother and more and am pleased that I did really. I love all people that I can relate to and be related to! We have family BBQ's every now and then with my mums side and invite everyone that can hear our call and arrive on time before the cheese topped burgers cool. They are fantastic and helps open my eyes to even more people that I can call mi Familia!

My childhood was split between people and counties and well looking back it was probably quite emotionally challenging. I took on the form of a hostage negotiator trying to negotiate my own path out of arguments about favouritism and purity of blood of my guardians. I did obviously like the fact that the presents I received were double due to me being born on Christmas day. In addition to that I got numerous presents from Parents, Grandparents, Cousins and then every Step-Version of that too, i was rolling in wrapping, tags and glitter.

I used to crave time with different parents as they did things differently. They would each let me go to bed at differing times, let me each different puddings and take me varying trips away for our holidays. Mostly camping but who can complain as camping is awesome. Nature I loved and the feeling when you stroll into the New Forest with your Action Men in an inflatable kayak, and get ready to chuck him into a nearby stream was wonderful.

There you see, I do have some ideas and memories of things that occurred when I was young however some people can remember their first ice-cream or even the strop they pulled over not being allowed an ice-cream. I may not have those recollections but I do then thoroughly enjoy resorting to my mum or dads retelling of it instead.

I love photos and photo albums especially a lot though as they can nearly give me the memories back. They can provide a narrative to my life that i cannot muster up myself for some silly reason or another. I know its odd to say but it's nice that I can recall the time when I travelled up to play with my local football team to play on a quarter section of Wembley, however when i do say that I mean I can mainly remember the bit on the way up on the coach when in first had Burger King. And the bit when I threw a paddy in front of the statue of Sir Bobby Charlton due to the fact that we lost the game.

Come to think about it, the reason that I can remember only certain, specific things is probably because I react differently to certain scenarios that trigger emotional responses that in turn enable me to actually recall what went on. The brain is extremely fascinating isn't it.

Clarity and Finale.

I'm not going to bore you with anymore half-memories now though as I like that I possess them. I mean, if I didn't have them then I'd have diddley squat to look back, think on and write about.

I'm so lucky that my parents, despite their own tumultuous events that brought them together then consequentially apart, had me and decided to give me extra cherished guardians and extra meaning to my life to be brutally and emotionally honest.

They, each and every one of my guardians and while I'm spouting about it, my grandparents and other numerous key individuals, have helped me all the way through my 20 or so years. They helped me talk, walk, stand, run, argue and apologise. And as it happens many more things.

For that I am ever so thankful.