Monday, October 10, 2011

Laughter IS the best medicine

Do you love movies? I do. It’s a matter of inheritance.

My Dad’s father, Grandpa Guissippe went to the movie theatre every Saturday, even during the depression. He became so engrossed in the story he didn’t care what was happening around him. Later, when everyone met at my Great Aunt Rosa’s house, my Grandpa would not only tell everyone about the movie…he would act out each and every scene, playing the part of all the characters. Remember, there were no recording devices in those days. Heck, there wasn’t even TV back in his day. It was a real treat for his family to watch him tell the story. My Dad always said Grandpa was a comedian.


My Dad had four TVs all connected to VCR recording devices. He recorded various programs, some for me, some for my husband, some for his grandkids. He numbered each tape, all 254, and then entered the contents of each tape in a journal. When Dad passed in October of 2000 we had the sad responsibility of clearing out his house. No one seemed interested in his recordings but I desperately wanted them because to me they were Dad’s legacy. He recorded historical events such as the rededication of the Statue of Liberty and the opening ceremony of several Olympics. Plus he also recorded numerous sitcoms.  He continued his recordings until his last week at home before going into the hospital.

I have to tell you, I have no acting ability what so ever. That’s okay because my niece and her two children have inherited Grandpa’s ability for story telling. We have spent many a fantastic evening watching first my niece and now her children act out stories. These young ones keep you laughing until you fall over. My Dad and Grandpa would have loved knowing the performing ability continued into the next generations. To them laughter was the best medicine.

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