Follow-up to Five Boyhoods
I will try to tell this story accurately without my customary embellishments. I had an uncle, Henry Wise. Called him Uncle Hen. He was married to Aunt Lovey. If you picture Archie and Edith Bunker you’d be spot on, except Uncle Hen was less subtle than Archie. Uncle Hen was one of those guys who […]
Jacky ran down the street shouting that everyone should come to his house to see his new television. I had only a vague idea what television was – sort of radio with pictures. I liked radio. Both our clock and radio were on a shelf in the living room. The first time I could tell […]
In 1959, when I was 15, we moved from Philly to Tampa, Florida. I opposed this move vehemently on the grounds of Carol who lived on Ithan Street, between Chester and Springfield Avenues. We’d been together almost a year. We held hands, made out. I learned about blue balls from Carol. Epididymal hypertension. Dare you […]
My feet hung over the edge of the pew. I was very excited. I had never been to God’s house before, though I had often heard the tolling of the bells. The grown-ups knelt on red padded kneelers. Many rested their rumps against the pews behind them but not Pop. Pop knelt up straight. Mom […]