Who Are You?

There is the age old question about nature vs. nurture and it can be the cause of a lot of problems.  It can also be a search for a solution when there is not a problem.   One side of the coin is that we inherit everything from our parents as they did and unless you come from a long line of horse thieves, that fact alone should be all you need to look for.

I have several relatives that search the Genealogy of our family(s).   The funny part is there are a couple of explanations of where we came from prior to coming to America.   My family name is Petty and is pretty common English unless someone attributes it to an Ellis Island Error.  One person thinks that we were French and the name was Petit (Pronounced Pet-ti). At this point in life, it is not very important to me.  I will live with either explanation.  

Glen, Bessie, Earl and Warren Petty (1930's)

When I first loaded this picture I didn't notice the difference in the way my Grandfather and my dad were dressed.  I have my doubts that at that age my Dada and his brother ever played a round of golf.  I know that Earl Petty was a sign painter and those were his work clothes.

Barb's Familial name is pretty obviously German but I know there is a lot of the Collin's influence in her genes.  In fact, anyone with the name Schmoe is related to my wife if they live in the USA.  As we have traveled, I have looked in the phone book and never have found anyone with that name that her family Genealogy Guru hasn't put on the family list.  We did find someone with that name in Germany but no one there spoke English when we tried to talk to them.   We did find a Minister nearby the city her Great-Great Grandparents came from and saw a picture of the church they attended. 

I grew up next door to Art Longhoffer.  He was the son of parents that were born in Germany.   He spoke German growing up and still used a lot of German words especially when he cussed.  "Got in Himmel" was one of his favorites.   When Barb and I traveled to Germany many years back, I felt at home there and loved the people and the food.  It just felt like an extension of home.  I am sure that a lot of it was the food that I had learned to love by eating at the Longhoffer table.  

I can't really get deeper into the question of "Who Are You?" much deeper than that.  I think and will go to my grave thinking that I am who I am and have adopted the Popeye saying, "I Yam what I yam." 

I write, I sing, I work on cars and I am fairly handy with tools.  I have managed to live a full and great life and still have the first wife I started with.  If I were to die today, I hope you know that I feel rich that I have been so blessed to achieve almost everything I wanted.  In a lot of ways I exceeded my wildest dreams and hope I can shout yahoo and slide into my grave an hour before the Devil knows I coming. 

MUD