Friday, January 27, 2012

Lolo




The time is at hand. Yes, 2012 is upon us. Time is ideal for confessions.

Many of you know my big sister, Ann Lowell Hamby King. Not only is she my big sister, she also is my older sister. You may recall she disdains such “big” and “older” descriptions. “If it looks like a duck …” never mind, I digress.

Confession: Ann Lowell has embarked upon her eighth decade today, this being Saturday, January 21, 2012 (don’t tell her … it’s a surprise).

The almost three-year-old in Beauxart Gardens in 1938 never dreamed he would be writing this on Sunday afternoon, January 15, 2012. The lucid memories of early life always have been a fascination.

We do not have many pictures of those days. Mama did the best she could with our old Kodak Box Camera.

Confession: My big, older sister was my babysitter and I never got around to thanking her. You know, little brothers seem at times not to think of “Thanks.” Should you see her, please inform her of my gratitude. Thank you.

Confession: I should not have written the column about Ann Lowell speeding down Elgie Avenue. Dad’s 1950 Oldsmobile Super 88 was one hot wagon. Ann Lowell enjoyed taking me for joy rides. Looking back I can see the danger of flying 60 mph through those residential areas without seatbelts. We could have run off the road and killed somebody. Ann Lowell told me I was sitting in the “death seat.” I guess that’s the side of the car that would have killed somebody had we run off the road. Anyway, she got mad at me for telling our parents.

Confession: Many of you know I never should have teased Ann Lowell about sitting in that old Ford with Sid. Pipkin Street in front of our house really was dark at that time of night. Kept joking around how they sat out there playing the radio. I had known for some time the old Ford did not have a radio. Felice and Boudleaux Bryant had not even written, “Wake Up Little Susie” till 1957. And even if they had, there was no YouTube to play it like we have today. That old Ford with no radio never had a chance. But I digress.

Confession: I have wondered somewhat in recent years as to whether or not “digression,” intentional or unintentional, is a sin? Thank you, Ann Lowell, for enduring your little brother throughout all these (Good Grief, can’t find my calculator)…

Confession: Earlier in this treatise I referred to a duck. The jury will disregard that statement. Time has a way of changing things.

Just look (Ann Lowell is the one with gray hair). Actually, we both have changed. I no longer am the little brother. You should know that for quite some time I have been the bigger brother of my older sister.

Confession: This younger brother no longer is jealous of his older sister. Now that I’m her bigger little brother, it all comes out even.

Confession: Even though Ann Lowell and I still are not far from Beauxart Gardens, we both have come a long way.

Confession: On this, Ann Lowell’s eightieth birthday, there is opportunity one more time for this taller, younger brother to impress his shorter, older sister. After all, isn’t that what a taller, younger brother is supposed to do? The following I did not know. I looked it up to impress Ann Lowell:

“open confessione is good for the soul.”
[c 1641 in E. Beveridge D. Fergusson's Scottish Proverbs (1924) no. 159]

Sid King was Ann Lowell’s faithful husband for 58 years. He passed away on April 20, 2011, four days before his 85th birthday.

Ann Lowell will be moving in a few months to Indiana to be nearer her children.

Beaumont will be losing one of her Southern Belles.

Yes, the time is at hand.



Winston Hamby

winhamby@gmail.com