I’ve had some major events happen this week; some good… some???
I felt like a funeral crasher yesterday when one of my favorite uncles when I was a young girl, and still is today, died this week and I attended his funeral, without my older sister Shirley by my side. I can honestly say, that I only knew 3 or 4 people there, it was uncomfortable to say the least.
I slid in – in my usual manner; late. Realizing at that moment, I’d forgotten to send flowers, for the first time ever in my life. I don’t know where my head was at? But in the grand scheme of things, I guess it was par for the course. Hopefully, no one really noticed, few people there knew me anyway.
Afterward, I attended the farewell gathering, where I was hit with, yet another big bombshell… when my aunt just plainly announced to the woman seated across from her and talking about her husbands family, that the son she had cared for since he was only two years old, after the death of his mother, was not her husband’s son, but my dad’s.
I know… she nor I had a clue what to say, so I thought… just roll with it… shake it off. So in my usual fashion, I got his name and the name of his late mother. You know the genealogist in me… I was going to get the story. Not gossip since my other aunt sat there and agreed to it all. I guess it was common knowledge. Not to me or her, but you know that dang elephant in the room.
I have to admit… I do love those sudden foot-in-mouth experiences. They tend to always get you stirred up. But somehow, way down deep, I must admit it felt deliberate. Maybe I’m wrong. But I guess, I now have yet another brother. Don’t worry, I won’t drop his name – like it was dropped on me yesterday.
I come from a long line of goings-on, so this came as no shock to me. My dad had admitted to me years ago when we lived in California that he had a son with Doris Fox, but I shook it off as just more stupidity aka a drunken confession.
I don’t really have any desire to meet or to know him, but would like to hang him off a branch of this twisted old family tree. That is all I’m going to say on the matter.
I knew my father had lived with other women when he and my mother split up and had numerous affairs. He carried on an affair with Helen for years – the old bar maid from Hello Dolly’s in Trenton. She was married at the time but I don’t think any of my dad’s friends and family were too faithful to anyone. One uncle carried on and affair with some old lush by the old Dry Cleaners for years and years and yes, she was married to. Yuck! Luckily, they never had any lasting evidence.
I’m thinking things must have been really different back then, because everyone we knew at the time had been married three or four times and still carrying on with anyone that would have them. Men and women alike. Not sure how their marriage vows read… (they had to have been very different from mine)… all I can say is Nasty… is the word that comes to mind now. No excuse. And Tiger Woods thinks he invented it. (shaking my head and laughing here) The bible says there is nothing new under the sun but there are still things that make me crazy. This just heads the list.
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I did get a major answer to prayer this week. I had prayed for 7 long years for a wrong to be made right and not two hours after I finished praying… it happened and all I can say is… “THANK YOU, LORD!” Now, I will continue to pray that it is made known.
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I called my brother Ralph today, I know… he was shocked too… if you know me, then you know I never dial the phone, I just wait for it to ring. So after he was over the initial shock and after assuring him that there was no emergency, we had a nice long conversation about dad and his numerous affairs. Then we started reminiscing about our childhood. He was cracking jokes about how we were related to everyone around Middletown and the surrounding areas. He told me that whenever he was sneaking around doing something he wasn’t supposed to be doing, someone would have already called Mom and alerted her to the situation. He felt like there were relatives aka spies everywhere. We laughed and swapped a few more similar stories before we hung up. It was almost a very nice talk.
I had called him while I was on my way to the worst dinner I’ve had in a very long time at Lone Star in Middletown. I let Steven pick between Olive Garden & Lone Star before he drove back to college tonight and of course to ruin the evening, he chose Lone Star. It was a nightmare. I think they were trying to break the sound barrier with the noise and the volume was actually louder outside than in, if you can imagine that. So there was no escape. Babies screaming and numerous dishes breaking, I will repeat… a NIGHTMARE! I swore I will never return but I said that the last time, when it was all things considered, were actually worse.
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My niece Teresa Ann Parsons has a birthday this week, so I’m thinking, if her mother is feeling better maybe… just maybe we will go for a Girl’s Night Out! I know that I for one… could use it.
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That’s about it for this week, I did get several genealogy requests that I will try to look up tomorrow with a heavy work week ahead, but we all know that it’s my passion in life. So until I get the time to read more books, write more posts about what really needs to be said and done, I will just wish you all a very happy work week and may God watch over and keep you all. And to my newest discovery I will just say, “Welcome to the Family!”
Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world. ~ Joel Arthur Barker
Metcalf Family Mews 