Stunning

I recently received advice that a good way to show the world what I do with my memoir writing business is to periodically share snippets of stories I am capturing. People love to read about others, and it will give a chance for them to see what I can do.

My first installment is from a 1981 interview between my great-grandmother (Gigi) and her newest grandson-in-law, my Uncle Tom.

Gigi, “Sure you played on the street. Then they had the organ grinder. You know how the organ grinder, they used to come around, they had a monkey, he had the little hat he’d put his hand out and people would put money in it. They always used to play this .. And I always liked to dance. And we kids would dance in the street, not in the gutter, not in the middle of the street, but on the sidewalk and we would dance and dance. And one time I think there was York Avenue and I think the next was First Avenue and the next was Second Avenue and I was so busy following him. I don’t know it was after six o’clock at night around. As soon as it was dark they would come away with these great big poles and they would light the lanterns, they had these gas lanterns [for the street lights]. And so it must have been supper time and my mother was getting worried you know that I wasn’t in the house. Somebody must have told her that I was following the organ grinder, and here I was oh, too long, long blocks away from home.

“I might have been about 8 or 9. I was dancing away. I was dancing away. I had no idea what time it was. I wasn’t even thinking about eating. That was the last thing I was thinking of. Dancing was my cup of tea and how I loved that. Oh and when the organ grinders came around there was always a group that followed them.”