A Mommy Blog About Raising Men, Not Boys.
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Sunday, April 30, 2006

American Gothic

When I was quite little, a print of the painting AMERICAN GOTHIC hung in my Grandma Drake's kitchen. It was on the wall next to the kitchen table. From my seat at breakfast or lunch (the only meals eaten in the kitchen) it was my view. At some point, probably around the age of 3 or 4, I asked my Grandpa Drake who those people int he picture were. He said "Why that's your Aunt Margaret and your Uncle Willy."
Now, I had no reason to disbelieve this.
My Uncle Willy was a bald old man, who DID wear overalls (although I never saw him with a pitchfork). He would give me jellybeans when I visited. Some for each hand. My Aunt Margaret is a dim memory to me, I just remember her being nice but I don't know why. I don't think she looked anything like the picture, but you know when you are little, you don't question the things adults tell you.
So life went on. And that picture in the kitchen WAS my Aunt Margaret and my Uncle Willy. As I got older I thought it was sort of a strange picture to have taken, but never really thought much about it.
And then, when I was about 15, my high school class went to Chicago for a field trip. One stop was the Art Institute of Chicago. Guess what Hangs at the Art Institute of Chicago. That's right. The ORIGINAL.
And I realized right then and there that my Grandpa had told me a joke ten years before and that I had just gotten it. But before my mind could process it......I blurted out "Hey, that's my Aunt Margaret and my Uncle Willy!"
Is there any doubt in your mind that I am still being hassled about this?

1 comments:

Frank said...

I got your Uncle Willy right here.