It’s been awhile since I graced these pages with my erudite thoughts, if only!!
Since then I requested my long birth certificate which provided some, perhaps astonishing, insights. Even more revealing was the receipt of a “family bible” which was returned to me many years after my grandmother’s death. She died at 98. Her youngest son, my father, more recently at 94. My uncle is still kicking at 96, so I’ve got loads of time to catch you up as I’m about to turn 66 in a few weeks. With only 1/2 of the DNA info available to me I figure I’ve got a good shot at a few more years, maybe?
The family bible, what a laugh! I bought that for her birthday when I was 18, so not exactly long lived. I heard from my Aunt upon receipt of said bible that my sister “G**n wanted it”. Yeah, well, I suppose it’s a good thing there was an inscription from moi on the inside cover.
The cool thing was the junk I found inside the bible. My grandmother was a very religious lady, and her eldest son, Uncle C and his side of the family are born again Christians. My father was an atheist.
There was a picture of me (and maybe my mother with her back towards the camera) with a note on the back which wasn’t intact but enough to realize that the marriage of Mom & Dad was right after Mom turned 18 in July 1956 and I was born a few months later in November. Must have been some raised eyebrows at the time. Never spoken of in my presence. Hush now, deep dark secret. My Dad was 28.
Well, I never! Quite the scandal considering the “not quite” liberated 50’s. Note this is coming from the gal that had a child out of wedlock (gasp/delicate cough) at the age of 23. OK, not exactly a teen birth but still noteworthy!
The part that amuses me is my Dad’s philosophy to never talk about the past. But there’s so much rich stuff in there to talk about and now I’ll never get to see his face were I to drop that little pearl! Gosh darn it! I wonder if my New Mom (stepmother) knew.