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"We met at my sister
Dorothy's
place in San Francisco this spring (1997). Martha
and Janet and I stayed at a motel nearby
and walked back and forth for our get-togethers. My brother Gene
bunked with me at the motel, and our sister Louise
stayed with Dorothy. We gathered over at
Dorothy's and talked for most of one whole day. Then we all went out to eat
together and celebrated my 83rd birthday at a restaurant. It was a pleasant
time just talking and exchanging stories. We got along really well. My sister
Dorothy was very congenial -- and very sentimental about the family, and about
me. She's a very good-hearted person, and that was a nice evening. Dorothy
lives in the San Francisco wharf area, Louise lives in Santa Cruz and Gene
lives in San Jose. They're all in the Bay Area. Martha
and Janet and I flew in from Minneapolis.
"One of the many things we
talked about was this book ['Gram and Gramps']. I discovered
that people's memories are different. Some of the events from our early years,
the others seem to have forgotten. After they heard them, they remembered.
My brothers and sisters seemed to look down on the years in Claremont, and
felt that the townspeople were very backward.
"Martha
is doing wonderfully. She's pretty proud of herself, and the fact that she
can be up and about and enjoying life at age 91. I wish I had the attitude
towards life that she does. She even has a boyfriend who spends a lot of time
at her place.
"Janet mentioned that she
remembered when Dorothy and I used to
come and visit with John and Martha. At
that time I got pretty excited about politics, and she recalls some political
arguments but I don't remember them. Most people in my family had strong
political opinions. Everybody got more excited than what the occasion called
for. We finally all came to the conclusion that it was no good to argue about
such things when it wasn't going to change anything. But it took us a long time
to get to that point. Still, to this day, my sister Louise
and I avoid any political discussion. Once in awhile, I can't help it and I
come out with a little remark. Recently, I said I didn't like AARP. I felt
they were pressuring the government for more benefits for the elderly which I
didn't think they needed. I didn't want to contribute my money to a cause
that I didn't believe in. She was upset with me about that. She disagreed
with my poisition pretty strongly. So I backed off and let that discussion
end. In the early days, Louise and
George and Gene
and myself were probably the most political. Now, I think I've mellowed a
little."
from "Gram and Gramps" by
Don Kampa (1997)
pp. 220-222
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