The Good Old Days

I took the above photograph back in the late 1960s or early 1970s, in the kitchen of our family's home in Country Club Hills, Illinois, a suburb south of Chicago. From left to right are Margaret White, my mother Mary, and Peggy Caitlin, all of whom were lifelong friends, born and raised in the South Side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago. Back then, most people grew up and lived in the same neighborhood all their lives. Families were very close, and lifetime friendships were the norm. These days, people tend to scatter all across the country, and never get to know their neighbors. I think something really important has been lost because of this. And no, my mother was not crazy - this photograph showing her weird facial expression has always been a source of amusement for us, although I do have to admit that our family was pretty damn eccentric. And that is, of course, a very good thing.