managing to talk my way out of most difficulties. Under such handicaps I did manage to make a few friends, both boys and girls. In my early years at school, I was always more at case with girls than with boys. I suppose that this was because they played quieter than the boys. Although I did not seek out their companionship exclusively, I did enjoy the company of my girl- friends better than the boys that I knew.

When I was five my health became of such concern that I was finally taken to the hospital. The decision was made that my tonsils had to come out. Nor- mally this is not a serious pro- cedure, but following the opera- tion, complications set in and I almost died. After an extended stay in the hospital was sent home, to begin a long period of recovery. During this time, fear- ful of my future, my parents conceived another child a girl. Since another addition to the family put a strain on our housing accomodations, we even- tually moved out of my grand- father's home into our own apartment in 1945.

At that same time, I entered the local grade school. Since my health was still a concern, my parents insisted that I come directly home after school and play inside, quietly.

Between the ages of six and eleven continued to be sick quite often, and missed a lot of school. On the days I was home there was always always the question of "what to do." ! liked playing Superman, Batman and so forth and my mother co- operated by giving me a big towel for a cape and also gave me the use of her jewelry box to find decorations for my costume. I would often spend hours in her bedroom in front of her mirror, trying on various types of

jewelry to see how it would look with whatever character I was ing to be at the moment. On oc- casion my mother would suggest that i "dress-up," and gave me an old dress and a pair of high heel shoes and assisted me in putting on any jewelry that i wanted. I am quite sure that my mother did not realize what she was doing, and had no motive other than giving me something to do to pass the time. Originally, wearing her dress did not affect me any more than putting on a Superman costume, but eventual- ly i began to like it and looked forward to those times when she would suggest that I "dress up." Since my bedroom contained the soiled clothes basket, I started putting on a dress for a few mo- ments when I was supposed to be getting ready for bed. I didn't know why that I wanted to dress that way but I did know that, for some reason, I liked it.

When I was 13, we moved from our apartment into a house a few blocks away. I was given a room on the second floor, at the back of the house. Who knows what might have hap- pened if my bedroom didn't have the large closet, where the out-of-season clothes were stored? I had a handy supply of mother's clothes available and it didn't take long until I just had to try everything on. Soon after we moved mother got a full time job and would usually not get home for an hour or so after school let out. With my sister outside playing, I usually had at least a half hour before any one would be home (I was supposed to be doing my homework!). It didn't take long to discover new sources of delight in the contents of my mother's dresser and I was soon dressing completely from top to bottom always being careful to put everything back