What does it feel like? Those memories before life took a bite out of you? Before the smiles faded little by little. Before we lose hope. Before the hurt. Pure happiness. Naïveté. Serene immaturity. A warm summer afternoon. Fireflies glittering the yard. The smell of bbq on the grill. Father and uncles playing poker. Mother slipping us a cup of Rum & Coke to share. A human pyramid in the yard. 8 teenager girls. Sisters and cousins. A dare. Eat a firefly. Get $20. The pecking order begins. Eldest first. Prove themselves. Fearless. Up next, learning from mistakes of those before. Chew fast. One by one. Lined up. Grinning. Tongues out. Bug guts on jagged teeth. Hands stretched. The connivence store on the corner. Magazines. Comics. Movies. Tanning. Candy. Those moments before our teeth and hearts had cavities. Before the stomach aches set in.