My childhood memories and how they shaped me Every one of us has experiences that set us for life. They create our being and purpose, making us who we are as adults. What you remember most, you remember as a child and will do so forever. Why I turned out to be a dog lover today Like many others, I grew up to become a dog lover very much because I was surrounded by dogs all my life. Every little dog teaches us so much about living, being patient, honest and above all, loyal. My best childhood memories revolve around dogs. My very first dog, a present from my father, was a Daschund named Oink Oink. That dog made me love animals forever. I simply cannot do without the presence of a dog in the home. How I grew to love reading - becoming a teacher and writer! My mother was the teacher in charge of her school's library. She used to stack piles of Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew paperbacks in the back of her car and I read them every day. Of course, I often ended up helping mum to catalogue the books as well. It is no mystery why it is said that parents should always encourage reading. How childhood memories shaped my love for music My dad, a guitarist in his own band, often had, and still has, music gigs in different places. I used to follow him and the other band boys in a van. The best memories I had were of joining dad onstage for a number or two, either vocally or on the piano. I grew to love the keyboard and piano , and I still play them.​