Saturday, December 20, 2003

My dad called after 18 years

Last night my father called. I haven't seen or spoken to him since I was two years old. He suddenly realized I existed again, and decided to ring us up.

He filled me in on past family history and such tibits as the fact that our family (Hotchkiss) has killed more human beings than any other family in history. What a claim to fame, huh? It was achieved by inventing a number of things, including the Hotchkiss gun and the mechanism that allows a car to turn corners while going more than 5mph.

It was odd talking to him. He denied paternity when I was born. I grew up quite liking the fact that I didn't have a father. I didn't have to be involved in messy custody or visitation issues, I didn't have to share mom with anybody, and I only had to be embarassed in public by one parent, not two. (That was enough, trust me!)

It was interesting to hear some family tidbits. One of the relatives is a comander in the Navy SEALS, something I've always wanted to do. A lot of the family is involved in Universities or libraries in some way. One of them is the Major of North Syracuse, NY. On the other end of the spectrum, my 12yo half brother recently stole his mother's car and smushed it into pieces.

I hope I got the good genes out of the mix. :-)

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