WHO IS THAT BUM?

My father was always a debonair man. In style and dress. I came along "late in life" as they say, so I was not aware, except through photos, that when he was younger, he was often mistaken for Clark Gable (whom he knew later in life, but sadly, before I was around). My half sister says that her girlfriends used to beg her to take them to see our father. I can see from photographs that he indeed bore a resemblance to Mr. Gable (Ah, wish I had been "Scarlett"!)

For whatever reason, last night, before sleep overtook me, I was thinking back many years ago about my mother and an "you won't believe what she said" type moment.

I had given my mother copies of VHS tapes of home movies I'd had made from old 8mm reels for viewing. (Four VHS tapes were needed for just the ones she had taken of me growing up). My mother had always been into photography. Had her own studio, before I came along, and had a "dark room" when I was little (I remember opening the door at the "wrong" time...OOPS!!!).

Because of her love of photography, she had captured on movie most of my life, from the time I came home from the hospital, to my first step, and all things in-between. She also captured family members, and all events.

Back in the early to mid '50's, in California, my parents had purchased a new "post war" home. The 8mm movies my mother took were a constant in my life. In viewing them, I am constantly amazed at how in the 1950's, there was only land across the street from my parents house. Land everywhere. Can you imagine that NOW in California?

While my mother took 90% of her movies in color, there is a small portion in black and white, which are spliced (gosh, remember that word?) throughout the color reels. As mentioned above, she would take photos of my playing outside, or helping my father while he worked in the yard.

My mother died from complications of "Alzheimers" in 1993, but back in 1987, while I knew something was wrong, I didn't know what, not at that time. So it was, and still is, quite a humorous memory, remembering when I was sitting at her home with her as she viewed one of the VHS home movies. A black and white portion came on, showing my father, finishing up the tree trimming etc., on our front yard, dressed in work clothes and walking toward our house, when my mother says...

"WHO IS THAT BUM?"! I almost spit out my coffee I was so doubled over in laughter.

"Mother", I said, "that bum is DADDY"!

"OH"! she replied, "what happened to him"?

Priceless!!!