Stories My Wife Wishes I Wouldn't Tell the Children: Memoir of a Boy's Life in a West Texas Oil Camp by David T. (Butch) Seay

In 1969, while stationed at Da Nang Air Base during the Vietnam War, the idea for this book first took shape. With little free time in a war zone, the author scribbled down a few chapter ideas on a yellow legal pad. The notes gathered dust for decades until 2006, when he self-published his book.

Now, at the age of 81, he’s revisiting his collection of childhood memories in this special reissue. Stories My Wife Wishes I Wouldn’t Tell the Children recounts the author’s mischievous adventures growing up in a West Texas oil company employee camp. Through humorous, heartfelt tales, he shares glimpses of a boyhood spent testing boundaries, surviving mishaps, and sometimes narrowly avoiding trouble — much to his parents' dismay.

These stories are more than lighthearted anecdotes; they carry the essence of a bygone era and a way of life that shaped the man the author became. Inspired in part by his father's sparse recollections of growing up on a 29,000-acre Texas ranch, the author hopes these stories will provide his daughters with cherished family memories.

Told with honesty, warmth, and a touch of mischief, this book invites readers to reflect on their own childhood adventures and the enduring power of family stories.