Eu with a gene

I would love to have been a fly on the wall as my parents deliberated over the choice of my given name.  As far as I know it wasn’t derived from some cherished family namesake, famous war hero, or celebrity — it was just a name.

No Jello in Heaven Please

The cityscape rapidly transformed itself as we approached Chicago’s predominantly Polish community. Storefront marquees advertising Polish-specific goods stood out in the bright noonday sun while babushka wearing women scuttled through the entranceways.  I was entertained by a shop owner who looked to be chasing after his own shadow as he swept the sidewalk in front of his establishment. The neighborhood possessed a unique character all of its own.  They were a “salt of the earth” type of people with a strong sense of cultural pride.

Chasing Tale

My boyhood was full of curiosity, imagination, and adventure. It was fueled by the obsession of my buddies and I to debunk the tall tales spun by our not so reputable peers from town.

Blurred Vision

Photo credit: avrene via Foter.com / CC BY

Life was hard for a fat kid. Nobody ever looked at you and said,

“Now there’s a great ball player.”

No, a fat kid always had to prove himself. It was like hanging a sign around your neck that read “Don’t pick me for anything except a pie eating contest.”  The only thing that made it worse was having to wear glasses.

Embedded Love

With a thirty minute wait for a table in the dining room I decided to take a seat at the bar. Perched motionless on a stool down at the far end I noticed an old man.

dəsˈleksēə/

Mom instructed me to thank Sister Leona, but I knew she wasn’t really trying to help. She didn’t actually believe I needed prescription glasses, her purpose was to humiliate me in front of the other kids.

Nameless

My short term memory is getting shorter by the day. I’m spending more and more time searching for things I just set down. I started a wood project in my workshop — five pencils and two tape measures later I finally got it laid out.

Mary’s Favorite Recipes

Potato dumplings, Polish sausage, stuffed cabbage and flavorful gravies… Polish chicken, homemade breads and mounds of buttered mashed potatoes… Polish noodles, pierogi, kolacky, candied sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and baked beans, the list goes on and on.

The Winter Solstice Festival of Fat

You know…maybe it’s not my fault. Looking back over the years I realize that this has been a repeating pattern, set in motion every November first and runs all the way through January second.

Believe

I still believe in Christmas. I still believe what it embodies. I believe in the gift that I can’t live without and I’m overwhelmed by the selfless devotion of the giver.