Family

It has occurred to me that, with the exception of a cousin who lives three blocks away, there is no blood relative of mine (not counting our children, of course) who has called or e-mailed to see if we are still here. Not after Charley, not after Florence.

When my parents moved from Kentucky to Florida in 1951 they didn't realize that we were moving to the dark side of the Moon in terms of keeping up with the family. This is not to say we don't like each other. We do, but we never see each other.

What a contrast with the Workinger side of the family, which has spread out from one side of the U.S. to the other but still stays in close contact. All we need is a special event, like Christmas or a wedding, and everybody flocks back together.

Maybe it's e-mail and cell phones that make it so easy to stay in contact. As far as I know half my cousins don't use e-mail. Or maybe it is something else, but I haven't figured it out yet.