From the Gates of Insanity and Death

I was a square peg in a round hole. I felt as if I came from outer space. I picked up a drink at the age of twelve, after my two sisters had their wedding receptions in our home. I left the nuns and brothers at the age of fourteen and a half to work with my father as a bricklayer. The money was good. But I was not cut out for it. I would have liked to paint people and outdoor scenes.