Chapter One
Brian Aldiss Brian W. Aldiss is a writer whose science fiction work has brought him his greatest fame. Additionally, his poems, plays, essays, and other novels have marked him as one of the most versatile and influential writers of our time.
A question often asked is: "What is the purpose of humanbeings here on Earth?" Some people have a religiousanswer, that we are somehow working out God's plan, as ifHe were a master chess player. That is as it may be. Morecertainly, we are here to propagate our species. This is whatgives us most gratification.
Of recent years, breeding times have been much extended.Basically, however, the situation remains the sameas it ever was: we grow to reproductive age, we reproduce,and then we fall off the perch.
Although we cannot exactly be happy about that fall,the drop is eased if we have children to carry on our name.Some of us, the more long-lived, may see not only grandchildren,but also our great-grandchildren. So the longchain of our genes extends into the future.
My good fortune is to have a boy and a girl by my firstmarriage and a boy and a girl by my second marriage. I regardthis as the natural order of things: "Whatever is, isright," in the words of Alexander Pope.
Even better, these four remarkable people-they are allfully grown by now, of course-get on well together andare of happy and equable disposition. All have partners;three of the four are married and so far two of them, theolder pair, have three boys between them-my clever andlively grandchildren. Much as I love them, I am a bit tooold to enter into their outdoor games. And much as I lovethem, I could never possibly love them as greatly as I lovemy four dear children, who taught me so much by their entryinto the world and their growing up.
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Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin is a former NASA astronaut. On July 20, 1969, he and Neil Armstrong became the first humans to walk on the moon.
I've had the privilege of sending my grandson, Jeffrey, tovarious space camps across the country in recent summers,and each time I can't help but consider the incredible innovationsand changes that have taken place since I was sentoff to Trout Lake Camp as a young boy.
My generation witnessed the rise of airpower, thelaunching of satellites, and even the landing of men on themoon. We've fought through devastating world wars andwitnessed the rise and fall of great nations. Etched in stonemonuments and memorials are the names of countlessmen and women who have sacrificed everything for thefreedoms we enjoy. I try to share these stories with mygrandson as often as I can.
Despite all of these advancements, much has remainedthe same. Though Jeffrey's generation will face challengeswholly different and in some ways more terrible than ourown, it does so with the same freedoms that its grandparentshad, and with that freedom this generation is the inheritorof unlimited possibilities.
As I see Jeffrey off to space camp, I am proud andthrilled that I might be sending off a future astronaut. Butregardless of where my grandson ends up, I hope that heremembers the dedication and sacrifice of two generationsago, and the responsibility that is this legacy of freedomthat we have left him.
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Jane Alexander
Jane Alexander is an actress who has been nominated for three Academy Awards and has appeared in such classic films as All the President's Men and Kramer vs. Kramer. She served as chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts from 1993 until 1997.
Isabelle, age four, is severely restricted by my son anddaughter-in-law in the amount of sugar she eats. Theywere visiting us for ten days in our summer home, wherethe rules are always more relaxed. On the last morning oftheir stay as I was alone in the kitchen cooking breakfast,little Isabelle came quietly downstairs and said somberly,"Oh, Nana, I will miss you and Pushkie [her name for herGrandpa] sooo much."
My heart swelled, and then she added, "But I realize Iwill not have my Honey Nut Cheerios anymore."
I almost burst out laughing, then seeing how seriousher look was I asked instead, "Sugar is really your favoritething, isn't it?"
"Yes, my favorite thing in the whole wide world," shereplied.
"Hmmm," I said, "if you had to choose between yourmother and sugar, which would it be?"
There was a long Jack Benny pause (remember the old"Your money or your life" routine?), and then she yelled,"Sugar!"
Then she collapsed in a flurry of giggles and added,"Just kidding."
* * *
Jayne Meadows Allen
Jayne Meadows Allen, an Emmy Award winner, has appeared on Broadway, television, and film. She has also co-starred opposite the legendary Steve Allen, her husband of almost fifty years, in their multi-award-winning historical series "Meeting of Minds."
Saintly Elizabeth Meadows, my paternal grandmother, isthe role model I have attempted to emulate with my threeadored grandchildren, nine step-grandchildren, and fivestep great-grandchildren.
At ten years of age, I wrote a play a month. It was alwaysthe same plot, only the costumes and props changed.In every play I cast my sister, Audrey, as the lovely princess,keeping the best part, the melodramatic witch, for myself.
Our audience of two consisted of our English bulldog,Pal, and dear grandmother, who sat patiently, month aftermonth, applauding enthusiastically although she hadheard not a word. Grandmother was stone deaf from birth.
Most of us suffer, occasionally, from emotional homelessnessand, oh, how I needed the encouragement and unconditionallove of that sensitive lady, a love I enjoysharing today with my darlings, since each has uniquelydifferent needs.
Eighteen-year-old Bradley, my first grandchild, offeredrecently to drive me to a very glamorous party for the castof the Oscar-winning movie Chicago. My neighbors, Pattyand Dick Van Patten, had promised to bring me home.Brad asked if he could come inside to say "Hi" to Dick.The "Hi" turned into: "Are you sure, Mr. Van Patten, thatit's not inconvenient for you to drive my grandmotherhome tonight?" Adding, with a twinkle in his eye, "Pleasemake sure, sir, that she's home by a decent hour." At sixfeet two inches, Bradley is my trusted bodyguard and theheart of the Allen family.
Sixteen-year-old Bobby, a Steve Allen clone, is the humorof the family. He and I attend tap classes and the theatertogether and of course we talk showbiz until it'scoming out of our ears. One of my greatest joys is coachingBob in his high school plays and preparing him forsome of the inevitable heartbreaks that face the life of anactor. He will appear this summer in a rock opera at theEdinburgh International Festival in Scotland. I shall befront and center.
And then there's seven-year-old Amanda Michelle,who was always the apple of Grandpa Steve's eye and, ofcourse, the romance of the family. Recently, we were all enjoyingdinner together at our favorite Chinese restaurantand after dessert, were reading aloud our fortune cookies.Amanda read hers: "Soon someone you love very muchwill come to see you." Without a second's hesitation, sheleapt from her chair, hugged the fortune to her chest, andsquealed, "Oh boy, Grandpa Steve's coming back!"
Out of the mouths of babes.
My rules for grandparenting:
A. Be available.
B. Never criticize!
C. Be as genuinely interested in their dreams as in a skinned knee.
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Roger Armstrong
Roger Armstrong is an award-winning cartoonist and painter. He is a former Walt Disney Company staff artist whose work includes the Ella Cinders, Napoleon and Uncle Elby, Little Lulu, and Scamp comic strips.
When my granddaughter Christina was a little girl ofseven or eight, she loved to hang over my drawing board towatch me draw. It was 1958 and I was producing theNapoleon comic strip, which, at that time, was distributedby the L.A. Times newspaper syndicate. Christina was thesecond child of my (step) daughter Mignon-who, withher sister Karen, lived near us in San Gabriel, California.
At the time, I didn't think much of her diligent attentionto my activity. She would watch me work while her siblingsfrantically played outside. Christina was my favoritegrandchild (at that time I only had a few-later I had lots)and we would talk a lot while she watched me draw.
Okay, fast forward-
Fifty plus years have gone speeding by. Now I'mretired-well, not exactly retired; I'm an art teacher and conductclasses four days a week. I haven't done any comic stripsfor the past twelve years (the last strip I drew was Scampfor the Walt Disney Company). Now I teach drawing andpainting in my studio as well as in various art schools.
And what has happened to Christina? Well, she is nowa top-notch graphic designer and head of the graphic designdepartment at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo,California, where she also teaches. She takes excellent careof her grandfather, driving him to various engagements asrequired since he doesn't drive at night anymore.
"Did the many hours you spent as a child watching medraw comics have any influence on your career decision?" Iasked her one day. "Are you kidding?" she said. "Of coursethey did."
And so it goes, one generation transfers to the next, forthe most part, inadvertently.
We humans are eclectic on almost every level. Welearn-and build on-all that we gathered from those whopreceded us; none of us "spring full blown from the browof Zeus."
Grandparenting is an ongoing joy, especially when oneis able to participate, as I can, in the obvious continuity.
Christina, as well as Michael, her son, now thirty-twoyears old, is living proof that "life goes on."
The presence of a grandparent confirms that parents were, indeed, little once, too, and that people who are little can grow to be big, can become parents, and one day even have grandchildren of their own. So often we think of grandparents as belonging to the past; but in this important way, grandparents, for young children, belong to the future. -FRED ROGERS
* * *
Dick Ayers
Dick Ayers is a comic book artist who has been penciling, lettering, inking, and coloring since 1948. Some of his most famous titles include Sgt. Fury and Ghost Rider.
Yes, if I had known grandchildren were so much fun, Iwould have had them first! I have been very fortunate as acomic book artist working at home and being able to sharethe many visits they had at their grandparents' home. Myfirst grandchild was Lauren. We shared many "firsts" together.One always brings joy when I highlight its memory.Lauren was four years old-a gorgeous, cute red-hairedgirl, and I brought her with me to Manhattan on the trainfrom White Plains, New York-her first trip to "the city."At Grand Central Station, I hailed a taxi on Vanderbilt Avenueto proceed to Warner Communications up by the RadioCity skating rink. As the taxi proceeded on 45th Street,I pointed out to Lauren, "See, Lauren, all the buildings?!"and she answered, "See all the people, Grandpa!" The taxidriver interjected: "Wow, that little girl is smart, mister[She knows what is important!"
Grandchildren are very special. Perhaps that's why theyare called "grand" children. And we "grand" parents aregrand to them, too. Their grandmother and I celebrated ourfiftieth anniversary in 2001 with a gathering of relatives,friends, and neighbors and, as a tribute, Lauren stoodcenter-stage and read a poem she wrote citing the grandchildren'smemories. It begins
Together we gather in celebration for Fifty years of marriage complete. A couple, a family, many Generations toast this marvelous feat. You may know them as Dick & Lindy, Richard & Charlotte, Mr. & Mrs. Ayers. Charlie and Grandpa, they are to us, But we all can agree, they are quite a pair.
There are six stanzas of their memories of the timesshared with us and she closes with
A grandchild never felt so loved and This is our anniversary wish to you. May you know how much your love Means, how honest it is and true. May you cherish each other for Many days and view the pictures on your wall. For we are all the family that you Created, gathered here one and all! LOVE, LAUREN & JAMIE
Lindy and I were blessed with five grandchildren:Lauren, James, Kimberly, Kara, and Christopher, ourstep-grandson. Today we are blessed with three great-grandchildrenand are having fun getting to know Meghan,Griffin, and Connor. Already I'm looking forward tobobsledding with Griffin, who will be two years old thiswinter. I am most fortunate. I can still do some of thethings I did with our children, Elaine, Stephen, Richard,and Frederick.
The closest friends I have made all through life have been people who also grew up close to a loved and living grandmother or grandfather. -MARGARET MEAD
* * *
Howard Baker, Jr.
Howard H. Baker, Jr., served three terms as a United States senator from Tennessee from 1967 until 1985. He was appointed the United States Ambassador to Japan in June of 2001 by President George W. Bush.
When my second grandson, Matthew, was about eightyears old, I took him to Channel 5 in Nashville to do one ofthose feature pieces that television does often and doeswell. He listened attentively to everything like a fine younggentleman. On the way home in the car, he looked at meand said, "Papa, did you used to be somebody?"
As is often the case with a question from a grandson, itwas unanswerable.
* * *
Kaye Ballard
Kaye Ballard is an actress and singer. She debuted on the screen in 1957 in The Girl Most Likely and went on to star in The Mothers-in-Law and The Steve Allen Comedy Hour on television.
My grandmother was the most important and influentialperson in my life. I left home at seventeen because Ithought she was going to die, and I wanted to get used toliving without her.
Continues...
Excerpted from If I Knew It Was Going to Be This Much Fun, I Would Have Become a Grandparent Firstby Willard Scott Copyright © 2004 by Willard Scott. Excerpted by permission.
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