My Childhood Background

Yesterday I provided you with one of the philosophies I follow closely while living my life, today I will provide you with some autobiographical information so you can get to know me on a more personal level. Please bear with my as I feel that a close attention to detail is very improtant in getting to know someone...

I was born on October 6th, 1984 to Peter and Kathy Lovetere, who were married 13 months prior. Their stories became intertwined a few years earlier while Kathy was working at a restaurant with Peter's younger sister, Denise. Kathy was a city girl with a very close-knit family from South Boston. My father grew up in a suburb of Boston called Dedham, and he made it clear with his appearance that he wasn't going to be confused with a disco prince. The two couldn't be more different, yet they shared a bond rooted in adventure which allowed them to grow very close. Soon after they, met they left town on a trans-American trip with only their dreams and Kathy's ever-obedient dog, Dutchess. Their need for adventure was far reaching enough that even Kathy's mother, brother, and cousins decided to make the drive as well, albeit in different vehicles. You see, my need for adventure began even before the idea of me had, my story was already being shaped. When my parents returned, they soon chose their new setting together in Canton, a small, blue-collar town not too far from Dedham. It was also the new home of Kathy's mother, Pauline. Really, it was a perfect place to settle, quiet, but very close to the city of their origin. Soon after they found their new home, they decided to embark on an even more adventurous undertaking; parenthood.

I was born in Boston, and a few days later traveled to my parents small apartment on Church St. I was too young to remember this place, but I still consider it to be my first home. They intended on naming me William, which was a name very dear to my mother. Her father's name was William, but he was an abusive alcoholic that refused to transition into family life. However, the name was not chosen because of him, rather she had an Uncle Billy that passed away at a young age in a motorcycle accident who happened to be her favorite uncle. Also, her older brother was named William, so the name was very common in the O'Keefe/Hackett families. When I was born though, I guess I didn't look like a William, so instead they chose a name that wasn't even in their minds; Matthew. Later I would find out that the name Matthew means "gift from God", I like that. The surname of my character, Lovetere, translates to "lover of the Earth", also something I like. So there it was, a new character was born; The gift from God that loved the Earth.

The setting of Canton is quite nice. During the 1970's, a time when Boston politicians were attempting to force integration in an effort known as "bussing", many residents of the city decided to move out to the surrounding suburbs. This is what inspired my grandmother to move out of Boston, and is also the reason my mother wasn't given a fair chance at a proper education. It is hard to learn about history, literature, and mathematics when you are more concerned with the territorial wars between the white students and the black. This movement was what prompted Canton to become one of the more populated suburbs in the area, that and the fact it is bordered by the two busiest thoroughfares in the state. This location is what allowed my father to build his own company from the ground up. He also didn't attend college, but his decision was based on the fact that in high school he had to choose between a college track, and that of a trade. At the time he was making excellent money laying carpet, so he decided to continue on that track. Although he would never take that that decision back, as he has been successful in building his company and working for himself,  it may have been a very different story if he wasn't forced to make such a lofty decision as a 16-year-old with a hefty wad of cash in his pocket. My mother stayed at home with me, as she is inherently a nurturer, maybe moreso than anyone else on this planet. She had been taking care of people from the time she was 4-years-old, when her mother made the courageous decision to divorce her husband at the age of 24. It was in her nature from the very beginning to be a mother, so it only made since that she would be a homemaker. This would eventually change as we got older, as she would take a job working in the cafeteria of the local elementary school, which then turned into the position of office aide, and eventually to teacher's aide in a special education classroom, a position she still holds now. There we lived for three years together, a model of the Holy Family coincidentally living on Church St, go figure.

Three years later, my parents finally had their son named Billy. We had eventually moved into a faded, yellow duplex on Pequit St. I can honestly say now that I couldn't have imagined a more pleasant, more exciting place to grow up. The four of us had a whole entire world of play surrounding us. We had a huge backyard, or I thought it was huge as a young boy. I go back now to visit and see that it's not quite as big as I rememeber. It was here that I learned to love athletics. We had a big, square-shaped driveway that we turned into a basketball court. My industrious father built a wooden wall that acted as a baseball backstop, and he even hung a tire to a tree that would act as my strike zone when I learned how to pitch. Beyond that, we had what we called the "back lane", a safehaven for all the neighborhood kids to ride bikes and socialize on a paved, private road that only one car would drive down. Here was where I met my childhood and lifelong friends, the Milligans and Iwanoskis. Beyond the backlane, there was a wildlife sanctuary that was sponsored by the Audobon Society. That was the home of my first real adventures. Sometimes I would go alone, but most of the time Justin Milliagan and I would climb trees, build forts, and hunt for salamanders. Looking back, I cannot fathom how my parents allowed me to venture at such a young age to this "wild" place. When Billy was old enough, even he would tag along, trailblazing into the great unknown. When I was seven-years-old my parents had their third child, a bautiful girl they called Maeghan or "Maggie". I took the role as big brother as proudly as anyone, and we lived on Pequit St for another three years until it was time for our big move to our first real house. That is where I began telling my own story...