H, I, and J: A "Husband", a "Tramp", and Me

H... Harold...

I was about four years old when I invented an imaginary husband, Harold. I've no idea how he came about, but there he was. After that, for a quite a few years, my best friend and I had our own imaginary families. Our husbands changed frequently; being children, we got bored easily I guess. Harold remained a constant presence however, albeit from some distance away. Let me explain...

My paternal grandmother lived in Wisconsin, near where my parents live now in retirement. In my youth we took many trips from our Illinois home to visit Grandma. Driving on one such trip we passed by the Waupaca (WI) County Jail. Harold  hadn't been mentioned for some time at this point, and I created the perfect reason for his absence: he was doing time in the county lockup. Again, who knows how or why my child brain created this scenario, but the story remains a family favorite and is always good for a laugh. Harold even sent me a Christmas card a few years ago, thanks to my dad's crazy sense of humor. I looked for it recently and haven't found it yet, so I can't quote it directly right now, but let's just say Harold should be paroled any day now, and he may very well pay me a visit. ;)

I... Ingenious...

Most of you probably know of Google Doodles. Those are the creative Google website logos that replace the standard one when commemorative occasions occur. I've always admired the creativity in these, and it's thanks to them that I've been made aware of interesting and important dates that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.

April 16th and 17th's Google Doodle goes beyond creative in my estimation. I'd go so far as to call it ingenious, much like the man it honored. April 16th marked the 122nd birthday of Charlie Chaplin, the iconic director and star of the silent film era and beyond. Google created a silent film for it's logo, using Chaplin's Little Tramp for inspiration. The promotion of Google is obvious, but if you didn't know of Google's intention and didn't look closely from the outset, you might think you were watching an actual Chaplin piece. Kudos to Google!

As long as we're talking Charlie Chaplin, I highly recommend the movie Chaplin. Robert Downey Jr.'s performance as Chaplin is, at the risk of overusing the word, truly ingenious. I believe he captured the spirit, physicality and complexity of the man in spades.

I tried to find a clip that captures essence of his performance in Chaplin, but none seem to do it justice. Watch the whole movie instead.

But, if  you're looking for a little Chaplin to whet your appetite don't despair...

Here's the clip of the Chaplin Google Doodle...

And here's a fan-made video honoring Chaplin, with Robert Downey Jr. singing "Smile", Chaplin's trademark song. Enjoy...

J... Julie Ann...

There's usually a story behind how a person gets his or her name. Here's mine: My dad met my mom in 1959 when she was in nurses' training. He also carried mail for the US Postal Service around this time or shortly after. A little girl, about five years old, lived in one of the houses on his route; he thought she was very cute and one day she introduced herself, saying, "Hi, my name is Julie Ann." He was so taken with her that he always remembered her, and her name. 

When I was due, some ten years later, Dad told my mom the story and said he'd like Julie Ann to be my name if I was a girl. Mom liked the idea, too, and there you have it. No other girl's name was ever considered. I don't know if the original Julie Ann spelled her name as mine is spelled or as one word: Julianne, but hopefully she'd be proud to know that she and her name meant so much to my dad. I know I'm proud to be her namesake. Here's to you Julie Ann (Julianne), wherever you are. Thank you.