With kids picking up their schedules for the beginning of the school year, we’ll probably all start hearing the deafening cacophony of high schoolers groaning, “I hate history!” I remember when learning about the Past was painful for me too.
But when I was middle age, I actually started enjoying the TV miniseries based on Alex Haley’s book Roots: The Saga of an American Family. The historical series was about the slave Kunta Kinte and his descendants.
And as I grow older, I am even more fascinated by some of the characters in my own story.
We called him Bobby. I don’t know why – his name was Alex Hunter. My grandfather was brilliant, charming and a bit kooky. Bobby met my grandmother when he lived in her parent’s boarding house in State College, Pa. He graduated from high school when he was 16 and then Penn State as an electrical engineer at 19. Did I say brilliant?
Bobby was really handsome back then. He had that old Hollywood movie star look. Perhaps that’s why he was married four times. I’m still laughing about him sending me a book about sex and marriage and a letter where he closed, “I would like to recommend that you enter the next Mrs. America contest.” Did I say charming?
When he was 70, he actually wore a football helmet & pillow when he took up roller skating.
One time when Bobby came to visit, he was quite a sight in his pale blue Corvair. Somewhere on the turnpike between Pittsburgh and Upper Sandusky, the spring on his accelerator broke so he tied a string from the engine in the back -- along the side of the car -- through his driver’s window -- to control the speed. He gave us a huge grin as he pulled the string and jockeyed into a parking space.
He could only stay a few days, however, because he had to get back home for his mandolin lesson. Did I say k-o-o-k-y?
I know it has become very popular today to tell people to let go of their pasts. I agree that Joy resides in the Present Moment, but there are so many benefits to knowing about our ancestors. In a recent study, Emory University found that the more children knew about the past — the stronger sense of control they had over their own lives.
It’s also been discovered that people who understand -- how the past made today what it is -- are more compassionate. They can translate the mistakes from the past into better pathways for today – without hate & violence.
I’m thankful! Because they lived, we are here -- with a chance to be more brilliant, more charming and more k-o-o-k-y.
“Families are like fudge – mostly sweet with a few nuts.” ~ someone not admitting it
DO YOU HAVE AN INTERESTING CHARACTER IN YOUR FAMILY TREE ?
Reflections
Creative with so many nuggets. Thank you for sharing. I definitely have some “nuts” in my fudge and each of them share some uniqueness that makes my family whole.
Always enjoy any little bit of family history.