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Jo Paoletti's avatar

I suspect everyone has one, buried in the past.

Susan-Marie Stedman's avatar

Ours is a great grandfather horse thief who was chased out of Canada and changed his name from Stagman to Stedman. And named his son Prince Albert. I wish I had known him.

Jo Paoletti's avatar

I also have an ancestor who was caught damaging some trees in the King’s park and given a choice between hanging and going to New Sweden as an indentured worker.

Bob Barraclough's avatar

Excellent poem. The story touched a nerve for me. So you remember when Rachel took us (or was it only me?) to a Pentecostal church ceremony in North Platte? The experience was the first step in my decoupling from organized religion.

Jo Paoletti's avatar

I don’t think she took me. All I remember is “Grandma sandwiches”, otherwise known as a slice of bologna or cheese.

JoyceD's avatar

Genealogy can be very interesting as is your story. I have at least one murderer and one sex offender in my family history. These stories are interesting for criminal justice work if they’re shared but usually it’s kept secret.

Yours could be evidence of undiagnosed bipolar or a desire to be polyamorous (without knowledge of how to create harmony in that type of relationship - I’ve seen it, it is possible).

Julia S. Porter's avatar

I love the way your brain works.

Julia Porter = Jane Perkins