My Dad and his Uncle Sam


When my dad was a boy

he shared a bedroom with

his Uncle Sam.

He didn’t talk to his Uncle Sam


‘Why not?’ I said.

‘Because I brought a hat home

from the market

and he turned it inside out and

back again.’

‘And you didn’t talk to him

because of that?’

‘Yes.’

‘Ever? You didn’t ever talk to him

ever again?’

‘That’s it’




‘So when you went to bed

how did you decide who would

switch out the light.’

‘We didn’t have a light.

There was no electricity in the

bedrooms. There were candles.’

‘So who decided who would

blow out the candles?’

‘We had one each.’




‘Just as well.

Otherwise you would have had

to talk to him.’