This was the summer I realized that I was not the center of the universe. I was only an inconsequential part of 55 th street. I realized that what I wanted did not matter much. I knew without a doubt that Mother loved me, but I also knew there was nothing she could do about it. Hard as I tried I couldn’t figure out what possessed her to consider this animal for a husband, and furthermore why she didn’t run away as quickly as she could, but she didn’t. My 12 th birthday was just around the... Sign in to see full entry.