September 11 is a date forever etched in our American history and perhaps throughout
the world. I had the opportunity to stand at the site of the World Trade Center the past two summers, and it is
a very quiet and soulful experience.
It is interesting to me that year by year, December 07 is becoming less and less a media focus.
I wonder if after fifty years, the same will happen to September 11.
Prior to 2001, September 11 was already a BIG day in our family. It is Miriam's birthday.
Now, some of you may not know, but I have four sisters and, as far as I know, no blood brothers.
Would you believe that I actually was writing some humorous stuff right here just a few moments ago which sort of implied
that I might have "secret" blood brothers. You know, the milkman had a son who looked an awful lot like me, and there
was a very special family friend (Italian) who did not look like me, but whom my Dad treated as a son and he treated
my Dad like his own father. Well, wouldn't you know, the blog suddenly disappeared into cyberspace, so I guess Mom and
Dad did not like my joking around! I guess you can do that kind of thing from up there!
Anywho, I have four sisters, and I am right smack in the middle. I have a sister 8 years
older and a sister 8 years younger. I have a sister 5 years older and a sister 5 years younger. Miriam is my sister
who is FIVE YEARS OLDER.
Miriam is one awesome and cool sister. She keeps reminding me that I am not really
old till someone asks my wife, Dianna, "Who was that elderly man with you the other day at the movie theatre?" Or I
am not really old till my son's friends begin asking, "Is your Dad still alive?"
Miriam and I have a little contest going to see who can come up with the most humbling old story
for the week. I think the score is tied at present.
Miriam and I used to have donut eating contests and used to snort frostys from Dairy Queen long
before anyone thought of snorting drugs! Those were the good ol' days.
There is one thing I want the whole world to know about Miriam. She is a modern day mystic
and shaman. Even though she is literally blind and actually has one "fake" eye, she has "only" lost her sight.
She has never lost her vision, and she SEES EVERYTHING.
When we were kids, Miriam was an Indian maiden--oops! She was a Native American
maiden. This was long before casinos. From a very early age, she had a United Nations mentality and dated
men from the middle east. (Ironic that her birthday was on 9/11.) When these fine English speaking young
men came to the house to pick her up, my Dad would engage them in the most hysterical conversations you can imagine.
He wanted to be cordial and universal himself. So he would talk to them very loudly and slowly as if they did not speak
English. And they bravely answered his questions in perfect English and in a normal tone of voice!! Yep, Dad is
going to make the website go zap again here any second. Come on Dad, lighten up. Just funnies from the past.
Anywho, I am just a few days over 63. So you can figure out on your own just
how young Miriam is.
Miriam is a very prayerful person. She is the one you want praying for you. For
a small donation of a hundred dollars a month, she will pray for you daily if not hourly. Simply make out the check
to Ann! Hey I am trying to help out here!! Of course, I will take a small percentage.
Miriam loves her grandchildren, and they love her. But, of course, being a grandmother
makes you old and progressively elderly. Well, that is true. A hopping grandmother could stay young for a long
time and granchildren will keep you hopping.
Whate else do you want to know about Miriam? Well, she has a striking resemblance to Patty
Hearst and when Miriam disappeared for several years, it really made me wonder. In fact when they showed the bank
security photos of Patty Hearst in the bank robbery, I shouted out instantly, "Oh my God, that's Miriam."
She has a butler who is annoying and screens all the incoming phone calls. He
has a slight British accent and thinks he runs the house. She promised me that she would fire him because he never lets
me talk to her, but as of this moment, he is still screening the calls.
I guess the last thing I should confess about her. When I was about thirteen, she broke
my arm! And I know some of you reading this blog will automatically think that I deserved it. The only reason
she ever apologized to me was that she was deathly afraid that Dad would kill her. I promised I would never
tell Dad. We tightly wrapped my arm. I was in pain for days, but eventually the arm healed and I became a
famous quarterback at a small high school in Santa Barbara.
The one thing that is absolutely true in this blog is my sister Miriam has VISION beyond
sight and is an AWESOME and COOL sister, and September 11 is her birthday.
