THE DIVISION STREET SHAPIROS

   The other day while driving in my mini-van, a thought zoomed through my now aged mind. Why is it that my sister Elaine, an accomplished author of THE DIVISION STREET PRINCESS, her daughter Jill is a writer and producer in Hollywood, ie; GREY'S ANATOMY, 6 FEET UNDER, UNITED STATES OF TARA and a few more, her other daughter Faith is also a writer and composer doing shows in the Boston Area.  Faith along with sis Jill created THE REAL LIFE BRADY BUNCH that started their show business careers. Jane Lynch (GLEE) was Mrs Brady. Faith also wrote the plays, JESUS HAS TWO MOMMIES, MISS FOLK AMERICA and many more.

   Our cousin Gerry, a professor at Nebraska has written many books and his brother Neil is a wonderful caricature artist. I the oldest of all and the newest author of MAKING HAPPY, my memoir,  is the least notable of the bunch.

DAD

   How did this creativity come about. Could it be the old cement sidewalks of Division Street or the streetcar tracks that ran in front of our grocery store or could it be because my Father Irv was a voracious reader of paperback books. In his spare time he read, probably a complete book every day. After we would close the store and go upstairs to our apartment for dinner he would retire to his easy chair, pull out the day's book and read until he fell asleep. This was before all the TV we now have. Back then we would sit around our 5" Dumont TV watching the test signal anxiously awaiting something, anything that would take us from our doldrums of the TV hypnotism.

   I remember Dad telling me that reading was the most important thing in growing up. Many times during his reading periods I would try to interrupt with a question and he was so into his book he would ask me to wait awhile. After many unsuccessful tries I finally asked him if I was bothering him. His reply was very simple, "How else are you going to learn if you don't ask."  I imagine that his zest for reading rubbed off on some of us and I think he would be very proud of some of the things we've done, maybe not so much of my book, although he did read Mickey Spillane.

   I try to tell my grandkids, read, read, read, as much as you can. It will pay off in your future.

This last weekend my stepson David married his lovely bride Jeanne and increased our family by two with her son Colby joining our great family. Now Dylan will have a brother to bother.