The questions we never asked

We’ve all had a great deal of time on our hands, A. to watch television, B. to eat snacks, C. to read, and to be with each other for 24 straight hours actually causing no harm to anyone that comes within “social distancing” range. This may be one of the few times that we are finding time to talk to our family, rather than instructing: make your bed, take out the garbage, do your homework (if there is any). Sometimes this is our only daily conversation, but do you know there may be more.

Maybe this is the time to actually talk to each other and find out about family members, who they are, what they are or were, or some of the stories we remember, that maybe, just maybe, would be of interest.

How is it possible, we know so little about our parents and grandparents and even great-grandparents? Here is the answer – we never asked that question.

I love the ad that talks about checking your DNA…. find out about your ancestry. What difference would it make to know If I came from a castle in Transylvania, if I can’t ask the Count, who lived there, about his childhood…his playmates…. or when did he start drinking blood for a hobby? I found out by accident that my father, who was a doctor, once repaired the busted nose of middleweight champion, Jake La Motta after a fight at Madison Square Garden. My father was making some extra money as a “cut” man at the legendary Garden, and it just so happened that La Motta was fighting that night. For his efforts, the “Raging Bull” gave my father a hundred dollars. A story I never would have known unless it just slipped out.

We miss these stories about our parents unless we ask, or it just comes out. The Internet has given us more information than ever before, but it’s about someone else, or something else. We Google something every day, but we know nothing of ourselves… where do we come from? What kind of life did our parents and grandparents have? What stories could they tell?

You have stories to tell… your life, growing up…school days, mishaps, funny stories, but they’re yours. Who is going to really know about you, if you don’t tell them? Kids don’t ask questions when they’re kids, but if you tell them about you, they’ll remember.

A great song by Barbra Streisand and the theme song for the movie, The Way We Were, describes these memories. Listen to this song and get motivated to tell your kids your story.

And by the way, here is an interesting story… I stood in line for 4 hours trying to be an extra for that film… but that’s my story to tell.

TAKE IT FOR WHAT IT IS…. IT’S JUST AS I SEE IT!