CHAPTER 1<br > To look back into the past of one s life is difficult. This is so， prl-<br > mafily， because experiences of the past appear at present some-<br > fira~ tlke a giant collage， one set of experiences blending，<br >meshinglnto another. When I sat down to begin delving into my<br > own past， therefore， I was aware that in order to give form and<br >~tmcJme ，to the experiences of my life， to shape and reorder the<br >;~st，~at，I wmlld have to rely upon my own remembrances， some<br >?fear ~ncr doet!ments， now dimly recollected impressions， and<br >~at I w0a!dnever t~now how much more important the things<br >~ 0morabcrod ，worn than the things forgotten. When finally I<br >60gan :i0 ~te the first draft of my autobiography and as I com.<br >~l~-tgd one grudlng page after another， after days of staring at<br >~，~ k-ih~ of p，iper， more da~ of b "nuin<br >- ，; - . y egn g and tearing u<br >~b~led :notes， J discovered that the memories seemed not sop<br >~uen~ke a ，collage， .but llke many varied dreams connected，<br >~how.，~，~o ~nother.<br > :~a Om ;this perspe0five in t/me， the incidents which occurred in<br >a9~8 when I Was only six years old， appear fantasized， dream-<br >ttcl.，<br >t removaber standing outside the John Mmzhall elementary<br >~hool in Newport News， Virginia， on a bright， beautiful May<br >~y， one among many other students. Blue sky and white flu<br >~oud~relgned overhead， freshly trimmed green grass， beneath mf~y<br > ~t. lne I~oys and girls were dressed in blue and white--the girls<br >n wliite dresses blue sashes， and black patent leather shoes， the<br >