This story is about a part of my life in the 1950s. It was fun, it was exciting, it was scary, it was about bad behavior. It was about an introduction to other worlds and in so many ways it was about realizing that life was not always going to be like it was then. —Ralph Horner

A lot of people could think that moving to East 49th Street would not be a beneficial place for young people to grow up. I don’t know if that is true. But I can think of several examples of things that might be beneficial:

• There was a large playground on East 49th. It was a perfect place away from the peering eyes of parents. And if you found yourself in danger when you were away from the playground, immediately get to the playground. Salvation in the form of your associates will be there.
• Rules and regulations could be arbitrary. Right and wrong were not necessarily black and white. A well-placed punch in the face could quickly settle a disagreement between two individuals—providing an equitable solution.
• Might did not prevail over logic (yes, it did).
• Two wrongs could make a right—depending on who started the wrong.
• Never deny, debate, or denigrate the Bielski brothers. The results of that could be depressing, debilitating, and devastating.
• School was beneficial but could never teach you some of the valuable things that you learned on East 49th Street.
• Prejudices could be overcome by just getting to know a person, or by having that person beat the tar out of you.