thoughts after a bath.

[gfrancie]

I take back all of those surreal moments I commented about.
Probably the most surreal day of my life was when I found out what I had thought was my ethnic identity and last name was completely false.

I am still trying to wrap my head around that one.

Comments

Ethnicity

[thiscantbesoy.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that's a good one. What were you, and what are you actually?

Re: Ethnicity

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

I thought I was french-canadian and my father got his last name from his stepfather. He told us, his stepfather adopted him.

I was Italian and my father got his name from the guitar brand.

[meowlet.livejournal.com]

Are you adopted? I am. My first name's Irish, my last name's Scottish and I am Dutch/German/Norwegian/Welsh. :}

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

nope, just the daughter of a pathological liar.

[exjb-986723.livejournal.com]

so what was your name BEFORE "Dorene O'Shaunessey Hymowitz"?

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Jean-Baptise O'Reilly Oberjine Lasalle.

Um, my last name hasn't changed, just because I don't want to go through all the energy to go back to what is rightfully mine. I should technically be DeManti.

I was originally French-Canadian.

I am thankful (since my father chose his last name based on the guitar) that he didn't pick Fender.

[exjb-986723.livejournal.com]

ah, but see ... then you'd lose that lovely alliteration, Ms. Lasalle.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

I know I know.

Hrm...Genevieve DeManti does sounds pretty good though.

One of my brother's is thinking of changing his name to DeManti. But it would work for him.

Thomas Anthony Cabrini Chedoen DeManti.

It has such rhythm to it.

We kid him and tell him he ought to become a lounge singer named Tommy Tony DeManti.

[(Anonymous)]

that's ok, i still have days when i try to wrap my head around it, too....well, you know all the old questions. but it DOES make a great conversation starter, doesn't it?

your mother
(who is still norwegian, swedish, irish, alsatian, and spanish--some things never change)

[thiscantbesoy.livejournal.com]

Dear Anonymous,

I love your daughter to bits.

Love,
Thiscantbesoy

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

you are so nice heh.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, atleast you are consistant.

I remember at the time trying to grasp all of it and trying to be upbeat. Because you looked awful.

[(Anonymous)]

i think it would have been more entertaining and less traumatic to have been hit by a truck. but your brother was so delighted to be italian....

mom

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

True. Both Tom and I wanted to see the bright side of things.
This is what you do when you are a child.


I remember you looking kind of upset when we put on a good face and said, "yay we are Italian."

Really I was thinking, "whaaa???? what does this mean?"

[closh2.livejournal.com]

Hello Anonynmous,

Your daughter, and oldest son for that matter, are two of the most wonderful people I know. I'm glad to be able to consider them my friends.

[robiewankenobie.livejournal.com]

just snooping around in journals, and thought i should point you to a this american life segment...episode 214
http://www.thislife.org/

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

I dig that program. I relate just a little too much.

[robiewankenobie.livejournal.com]

yeah, that episode was pretty wild. no, you aren't a swarthy italian...you're black. which reminds me of the time my (black) husband and i were talking about johnny mathis who, converesly, was not a swarthy italian, as i had thought. he still laughs at me about that...

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

*laughs* I thought Johnny Mathis was Italian or something until I was about ten. I asked my mother one day, "is Johnny Mathis black?" and she burst out laughing and said, "well I hope so."

Well, I am black too, but who isn't?

i'm not...

[robiewankenobie.livejournal.com]

i'm freakishly pale. freakishly.

Re: i'm not...

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Then you can say you are albino or something hip like that.

Re: i'm not...

[robiewankenobie.livejournal.com]

okay, but i don't think anyone will buy it. they'll just say something like, "there goes that freakishly pale poser chick who think she is an albino." *grin*

Re: i'm not...

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Hrm....
Well, you can say, "don't mock me, because I lack pigment."

Turn it into a pity case.

Re: i'm not...

[robiewankenobie.livejournal.com]

that was just classic. i hiccoughed a laugh over here...i'm lucky i can still manage to sit upright in my chair. "don't mock me, because i lack pigment." i can think of ALL SORTS of situations in which i can use that beauty.