Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Jaclyn/Jackie

 Whooo are youuuu?”


said the caterpillar to Alice.


Jaclyn was my name at birth

Jaclyn will be my name at death.


But in the in between years, 

I’ve had two names Jaclyn and Jackie.


“Would you prefer to be called Jackie or Jaclyn?”

asked one of my new friends.

“it doesn’t matter—- the names are the same,

I answer to both”


But they aren’t quite the same.

Different persona, different name


Jaclyn is pensive, a poet, a scholar,

sitting on the edge of a party, 

watching, observing


Jackie is the life of the party, 

a dancer, impulsive, 

hyperactive, friendly


it was the rare man who saw and 

accepted both sides of me.

He would ask Jackie on a date,

but was surprised when Jaclyn appeared at the door.


 I’m the flitting  butterfly

but I’m also the contemplative caterpillar 

sitting quietly on my pilllow, observing.

like Alice's caterpillar,

lost in deep thoughts:

“Whhoooo are youuuuuu?”

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Between Two Worlds

Most of my life, I've considered it fortunate that I was just ahead of the Baby-boom. Generally, the Baby-boomers were born between 1946 and 1964 after the fathers returned from World War II. It was a huge population explosion that has reverberated through American society.

This blog will be part history, part memories, part reflections of a retired teacher, but active "Senior". I have always felt like I straddled two generations forming a bridge. Sometimes I think like a baby-boomer, but sometimes I'm locked into my parents' Depression era thinking. I'm a dichotomy of two eras. But, I'm always ready to try something new---so here I am dipping my toes in the water of Blogworld.