anecdote

These entries are some times intensely personal and part of my past.  I make no apologies for sharing these stories.  My uncle Bill Kocsis would be 106 today.  He told me as a boy that he was exactly 30 years older than me.  He was probably my favorite uncle.  When we were kids Joan and Pam and I, we would be thrown in the back of our 1961 blue Chevy wagon and would motor off to West Dearborn to Bill and Bonnie's.  It might be a simple night of grownups playing pinochle or sometimes a larger party with family and friends.  I was about 11 and Joan was 9 with Pam being a toddler.  These events were always fun as we got to play with our cousins Kathy, David and Mark.  The grownups were downstairs playing cards or in the basement with friends.  We might be listening to records or just playing around.

Bonnie his wife was probably Dorothy's (my mom) best friend.  They shared stories of their youth and parenting advice.  Bonnie was a fiery redhead with a big boisterous manner about her.  Even though she was bossy, we knew we were loved.  I have vivid memories of her putting David, Jimmy (another cousin) and me in an old cement washtub in the basement and bathing us all at once.  It seemed pretty proper at the time.  In my memory, I can still feel the roughness of the surface on my skin.  

The food was always plentiful and we could eat as much of and whatever we wanted.  No one went hungry.  These visits are some of my fondest childhood memories.  I remember traveling home in that station wagon and falling asleep un a blanket in the back seat.  That post party nap was one of my most cozy feelings of warmth and safety.

As I approach my 76th birthday, these things came to mind.  I appreciate the indulgence.