A potpourri of religious fanaticism, sun blotting dust clouds and a crippling depression served to make me investigate the question: How did I make my way through this without jail, violence or a mental hospital? Because of the brutality, I had to learn the meaning of forgiveness. Because of the dust, I learned to enjoy nature and its beauty. I learned to appreciate the toughness of those surviving the rigors of the Big Depression. Living with...