Where I'm From

Where I’m From #55

By Carolyn Freyer-Jones 

Inspired by George Ella Lyon

I am from paper plates

from Thomas’s English muffins and white label, no name ketchup 

I am from the first floor apartment with the long hallway and the dining table where cigarettes were tamped out in the skin of mostly eaten baked potatoes 

I am from grass outside the building and sweet gum trees with spiky balls that were used as weapons

I am from weekend breakfasts at the Broadway diner, sarcasm and questions about the cost of breakfast

I am from Hugh and Trudy, from the arguing and the ignoring

from “your father doesn’t care about me” and “Kid your mother is crazy”

from a lapsed Catholic father and a mom who was sad and angry at Christmas for many years and tried really hard

I am from the Bronx, New York, Ireland and Latvia, from the Jewish Federation Home for Girls (where my mom learned she was smart)

from entenmann’s chocolate covered donuts, frozen french fries, and london broil

I am from my dad sitting me down at 12 years old, “I’m an alcoholic. Here’s what that is - it’s a disease. The place I go on Saturday nights every month is to help people who are really sick with the disease. I will always have the disease even though I don’t drink anymore. I go to meetings and people help me.” 

I am from service, despair, devotion, dreams. From early love, from 10 people sharing DNA, walking the earth with stories of the battles and beauty of Hugh and Trudy

Where to find Carolyn:

Website: https://carolynfreyerjones.com/

Where to find Alyson:

Website: https://www.alysonshelton.com

Substack: https://whereimfrom.substack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byalysonshelton/