May 21, 2026 — 12:52 p.m.
I have tried to intellectualize my thoughts often.
But I think it’s okay to slow down.
Today feels like me slowing down.
The room feels almost lightless.
Outside, the sun is desert bright.
That brightness brings a memory back.
Or maybe I am trying to bring a memory forth to soothe myself.
I was in 3rd grade sometime in the ’80s.
I had a bowl cut.
Bangs.
Maybe my parents thought it made me look cute.
Round face.
I always wore sweaters.
Summer and winter didn’t matter.
I was rocking the sweater regardless.
All the sweaters came from my grandma.
That was her thing.
I missed school often back then because of asthma attacks.
At least that’s what I was told.
I remember my mom telling me:
“Son, your lips are purple.”
She sounded worried.
I didn’t fully understand it.
I felt fine.
One sunny day in Los Angeles, our teacher handed us a reading test.
Funny enough, I never really understood the point of school back then.
What I remember most is the reading corner.
Bean bags.
Kid books.
A quiet little area where I just wanted to exist.
We were given the test.
I looked down at the pages.
Then something strange happened.
The answers appeared in my head.
One by one.
Even the punctuation.
I finished the test quickly and went straight back to the reading section.
Then my teacher stopped me.
“Roberto, did you use the book to answer the questions?”
I told her:
“No. I could see the book in my head.”
She looked surprised.
She tested me again after school.
Same thing.
Maybe even faster.
My parents never found out.
The teacher never questioned me again.
And honestly?
I think all I really cared about was getting back to the reading corner.
Maybe that little kid already understood something I’m only beginning to understand now.
Sometimes the mind isn’t trying to escape.
Sometimes it’s trying to find a quiet place to breathe.
💬 Reader Question
What’s a place from childhood that still feels emotionally alive in your memory?
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If this felt real… I write moments, memories, sketches, and fragments like this from Echoes of the Garage.
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