I post the following in honor of Marilyn's Birthday on January 30th...
When you’re six-years old, six years is a lifetime. Marilyn is six-years older than I am, so from my perspective, when I was in the first grade, she was already a grown-up; an all-powerful sixth-grader. She always seemed to know everything. There wasn’t a question I could ask her that she could not, immediately, answer with confidence and conviction. I remember being amazed at her wisdom, when she stopped me from playing with a kitchen-cabinet door; one I was opening and closing over and over again:
“Stop it”
“Why”
“Because a door has only so many swings in it.”
There it was, a profound truth: Everything will one day wear out, so we must use these things wisely (grasshopper.)
Her ancient wisdom was not confined to kitchen cabinets. She could also expound on Catholic theology. One Sunday morning, our parents, determined to fulfill their Sunday obligation, left us behind, deeming the journey through the blizzard too risky for children. Marilyn was instructed to conduct informal services with us little kids. At that time, Catholic women were required to wear head coverings at Mass, usually lacy scarves.
“What if the woman couldn’t afford a scarf?” I quizzed Marilyn.
“Then she would have to use whatever she could find.”
“What if the ONLY thing in the WHOLE house was a rug?”
“Then she would have to wear the rug over her head when she went to church (grasshopper.)
How did she know all these things!
So here it is, Marilyn’s Birthday Quiz:
· What was the name of Marilyn’s best friend (The one that went on vacation with us?)
· What was the name of her Barber-Boyfriend-Fiancée who pulled the piece of wood out of Teresa’s foot when she impaled herself, sliding across the dining room floor in her stocking feet?
· And last but not least what is the significance of this question: “Who brought the bottles?!”
If you know the answers to these questions, write them on the back of a copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and send it to me. The Grand Prize is a throw-rug that will double as a head-covering.
3 comments:
Marilyns friend: Marsha Rogers.
The one who pulled the 2" x 4" out of Anna's foot: Lou
Significance of the question: Once, when the parents left us unattended, Marilyn entertained her friends. Unbeknownst, of course, to Marilyn, someone brought alcohol.
Now that I think of it, I do remember glass bottles Marilyn placed at the entrance for cash donations.
What was that for?
Happy Birthday Dear Sister. Many Many More.
Question 1 - Partially Right
Question 2 - Wrong
Question 3 - Correct
.What was the name of her Barber...
I can't recall. Bob? He was a cool dude in my eyes. He let me drive his GTO on the steets of Martinsville when I was only 14 or 15. Later he sold his goat and bought a little Honda mini bike. He road it all the way to Brooklyn and let the boys all ride it at the new school. John, of course wiped out his brand new bike and scuffed it up a bit. What amazed me the most is that he didn't get angry. He was cool way before Fonzie.
Lou was cool too. Do you boys rember when he took us to the dump at his house and let us shoot bottles and cans with his 22's.
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