Welcome to Chat Rat Chronicles—a true collection of grit, laughter, and growing up wild in a town that doesn’t exist anymore. These are the untamed memories of two barefoot brothers and the family that built a life from scrap lumber, Sunday suppers, and sheer willpower. Before the mines closed and the maps erased our hometown, we made sure it gave us one unforgettable story to tell. This is where those stories live.
This memoir wasn’t written for publishers. It was written to fight the fade. For my grandsons. For the town that’s no longer on the map. For the memories that crackle like porch steps and Gorilla laughter. If you’ve ever felt something slipping, this is why I picked up a pen.
Dementia runs in my family—but so does defiance. My granddad forgot. My dad forgot. I won’t. This post is a punch thrown at forgetting, one memory at a time. If you’ve ever watched someone fade, this is what it looks like to fight back—with ink, grit, and a Gorilla’s roar.
Grandad Ben could crack a watermelon over his knee and a story wide open with just a grin. Alzheimer’s stole his punchlines—but not his presence. This post is my promise to remember, to keep the forge lit, and to roar loud enough that no one forgets him again.