My father’s parents came from what is now Lithuania, was then the Russian Empire; my mother’s parents and my mother came from what is now Poland and was then also the Russian Empire. The only thing good about that was each set didn’t stop running until they got to America.

Every so often someone would find out that my mother was born in Poland and ask if she wanted to join the Polish-American Society or something. With her characteristic combination of truthfulness and honesty she would reply that she hadn’t been considered Polish when she lived there and saw no reason to start now. I’m with her on that one. Whatever ethnic or personal feelings I have about those places are entirely negative.

I never knew my father’s parents and I wish I’d had the presence of mind to thank my mother’s parents for allowing me to be an American.