1. I was growing up, just like most children do and I was running up against some parental behavior that I did not like. Not one bit. I was being put aside from the adults and not being treated fairly. I hated it. We were a large family. Both sides of the tree had numerous branches and some rather colorful leaves, of course. As it turned out, my father was the eldest of his family and my mother was the youngest of hers. My father, EFR Dion, was a fairly successful individual. I never knew him in a position less than general foreman of some rather significant manufacturing concerns. So, needless to say, we had a lot of family gatherings in our house. [Yes, we had a single family house, not an apartment. A rarity.] Anyway, I was growing up and during these gatherings the children were accommodated at a small, set aside table for their meals. The food was the same, of course. The company though was not. Not only that. I was beginning to be insulted that I should be set aside as not being good enough to sit at the main table. I had some conversations about it with my parents and they tried to reason with me. Adult as I thought I was, I knew that I was right and they had no idea what they were doing. (I think I was about 10.) One time, therefore, I think it was Thanksgiving, I just simply flat-out decided that I wasn't going to obey. I said "No." No fuss. No muss. Clean "No." EFR Dion took me aside and said, "Go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow." So I went to bed. Tomorrow came and at breakfast he asked me if I was hungry. I said that I was not. He said that he thought that that was strange since I had not eaten the night before. I said that I didn't need to eat at a small, set aside table. He said that he would think about it. MJT Dion, mother and wife of the aforementioned EFR Dion, as far as I can remember, had nothing to say. The upshot of it all? I was told that if there was room at the main table, I would have a seat. If not, I had the choice of eating with my cousins at the small table or going to bed. I don't know how many times I had to make the choice. I do know that it did not take long that I had a seat. In the main, it was a "coming of age" experience that went well for the whole family.
2. Weddings, ah weddings. They are no place for children. I was at one when I was something like about 10 or 12 years old. We had been let out of church and we were now at the restaurant/dance hall. It was about 10:30 AM. We children were kept in a small room away from the gathering area of the adults. It was now mostly tables set for the meal. It got to be past noon and the adults had begun eating. It got to be 1:00 PM and the adults were still at table. We children were being conveniently ignored. I conveniently left. I walked the mile to get home. My younger siblings were there with the baby sitter. She was surprised to see me alone. I told her that I wanted to eat. She quickly made me a minced ham sandwich and poured me a glass of milk. At about 2:00 PM, I was missed. My father came home rather than to call the police. He found me sleeping in my bed. He awakened me and began to dress me down really well. I sat there and listened. Finally, he decided to ask me why I had pulled such a stupid stunt.
"Why don't you ask stupid old lady Morneau why she didn't feed us?"
"What?"
I repeated it. He left.
I never knew what happened. I do know that I was about 21 years old before I attended another wedding. It was at the same location as the previous incident. The ownership had changed. It didn't matter. I had volunteered to be the bar tender. Now that time, I had some fun...deep into the night.
It was worth the wait.
Old habbits are hard to die it is said. I dont think I am too far behind.
ReplyDelete