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the Clan O'Brien pt 1: the Gathering
Sep. 8th, 2008 05:01 pmI made the five hour trek along I84 all the way into Pennsylvania. Thundering beats and some energy drinks keep me focused and conscious. I wound through small back roads, passing gas stations and tractor dealerships before cutting down a foreboding one lane road. My uncle's instructions were spot on, and before long I arrived. Uncle Bill put me up in the apartment behind the house. When my cousins wanted to "run away from home", they'd stay in the bungalow. The ground floor was a garage for their RV's, but the 2nd floor had a eat-in kitchen dining room, a bedroom (with TV and DVD player) and a bathroom. Quite cozy, I could just about live there on my own.
The next morning I ate with Uncle Bill and Aunt Diane, my cousin Casey, his girlfriend Ashley, and their daughter Kayla. Cousin Tim joined us soon after, with his wife Christina and their child Timmy (Timmah!) We packed up and drove out to the reception where we met the rest of my extended family: Aunt Mame, Uncle Hughie, his wife Nora, and their kids Sammi Jo (with boyfriend Scott) and Kimberly. I didn't even know I had a niece, who was on the even of her sixteenth birthday! You can tell I don't have a lot of contact with my family (or just forgot a lot). My immediate family were there too: Mom, Dad, Patti and her son Aaron, Tracy and her husband Tim, and their kids: Brant, Devon, Lexi, CJ, Mariah, Acacia, and Timmy (Timmah!) Thank Heavens for name tags! Last but not least was my Uncle (Monsignor) Jack.
The heavens opened up on the sporting club where our reunion was held. Surrounded by wood paneling, and posters about gun safety ("Keep it safe, keep it open!") The entire O'Brien clan assembled. There were four main branches of the family. Ours was as large as the other three combined, if not more so. Ours was also the only group to have people under thirty in it. The responsibility to carry on the lineage has fallen on us, it seems.
More to come tomorrow on Uncle Jack, feeling apart, and coming together.
The next morning I ate with Uncle Bill and Aunt Diane, my cousin Casey, his girlfriend Ashley, and their daughter Kayla. Cousin Tim joined us soon after, with his wife Christina and their child Timmy (Timmah!) We packed up and drove out to the reception where we met the rest of my extended family: Aunt Mame, Uncle Hughie, his wife Nora, and their kids Sammi Jo (with boyfriend Scott) and Kimberly. I didn't even know I had a niece, who was on the even of her sixteenth birthday! You can tell I don't have a lot of contact with my family (or just forgot a lot). My immediate family were there too: Mom, Dad, Patti and her son Aaron, Tracy and her husband Tim, and their kids: Brant, Devon, Lexi, CJ, Mariah, Acacia, and Timmy (Timmah!) Thank Heavens for name tags! Last but not least was my Uncle (Monsignor) Jack.
The heavens opened up on the sporting club where our reunion was held. Surrounded by wood paneling, and posters about gun safety ("Keep it safe, keep it open!") The entire O'Brien clan assembled. There were four main branches of the family. Ours was as large as the other three combined, if not more so. Ours was also the only group to have people under thirty in it. The responsibility to carry on the lineage has fallen on us, it seems.
More to come tomorrow on Uncle Jack, feeling apart, and coming together.
