It’s stuck in my mind, trapped and buried in the deepest regions, only to resurface when my mind wonders. I’ll be on the brink of sleep, drifting off when the haunting memories return to me. It was to become a man they told me, but it simply made me less of a human. Decades ago, the summer heat rained down on our small town in Texas. The only safety for the younglings was the shade of trees as our parents forced us outside til the dinner bell rang. School was out, and there was almost nothing to do. Worse of all, my parents refused to take me to the local pool, citing health concerns. Alas, there was a saving grace.…