I was instilled with moral values and the difference between right and wrong by
             parents that took me to church almost every Sunday. If I did something wrong, I could
             expect punishment to soon follow, usually in the form of a belt from my dad. If my
             brothers and I would not confess to something that was on the list of wrongs, dad
             would give us all a whipping to get the guilty one. I remember the dreaded "before the
             whipping" speech from Dad. He would make sure my brothers and I understood the
             reason why he was correcting us. On one particular evening when I was about seven
             years old, I made a regrettable decision. Although not receiving a belt on the behind, the
             pain from the guilt was very much felt.
             My parents, brothers, and I were at the laundromat in the small town of Etowah.
             My mom was feeding the washers and dryers with quarters, while my dad, brothers, and I
             stood outside waiting until she was through. I remember my dad giving me a handful of
             quarters to take inside to mom. With so many quarters, I didn't think that mom would
             miss just a few. I thought I could keep just enough to get a candy bar or coke.
             The thought whether to keep some of the quarters was right or wrong didn't
             present itself with the rationalization through my childish mind, that mom didn't need all
             those quarters. When I handed her the quarters, I was unaware that she knew how many
             quarters Dad was supposed to be giving her. When my dad found out that I had pocketed
             some of the quarters, he was very disappointed in me. I felt really bad when it was made
             clear to me that I was actually stealing from my parents. I wish I could have backed up
             and have given mom all the quarters. I was having my first experiences with a guilty
             conscious at the tender age of seven.
             No, my punishment didn't come in the form of a belt. Instead, I had to write a
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