You Can Learn a Lot From a Fruit Fly ~JMH 2014~ About 25 years ago I was in a freshman Biology class in college. I was really excited because 1) we were getting ready to start breeding fruit flies in the lab as part of a genetic study and 2) because I was finally in a class that didnt have a zero in front of the class registration # so I thought I was smart (if they start with zero they are remedial and dont count.) A couple of weeks into the genetics lab my professor and I engaged in a very intense conversation about genetics that lasted about 2 hours past the ending of class. He said you can learn a lot from a fruit fly. I thought, sure whatever dude. He went on to say that we can replicate many generations of fruit flies in a lab but we are only fortunate enough as humans to know about 2 possibly 3 of our own genetic generations in our lifetime. He went on to tell me how important it was to get all the information from my parents and grandparents that I could. He emphasized that not only genetic family history was important but simple history and their personal stories as well. Later that week I began to ask my grandfather questions about stories from the past. He told me about fighting in WWII and how mad he was at momma for buying a Honda from the Japs in 81. Many other great stories, too many to share here. My granddad passed away in 1996 and I still smile every time I see a Honda. Fast forward 25 years. Mom is about to be 70 so we are planning a trip to her home town of Ware Shoals, SC this weekend kinda as an early birthday present for her. One of my fondest memories of her hometown was how cool and historic her old high school was. I jumped online to make sure it was still in tact because I want to take some pictures of mom and her old school this weekend. Im excited to report the old school is still being used and I cant wait to see it. As I was looking at the schools website I noticed the baseball field was named Lou Brissie Field. I researched Mr. Brissie as I had never heard of him and found out that he was a major league baseball player that was from my moms high school and hometown. He played for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Cleveland Indians in the 1940s and 1950s. He was just a few years younger than my grandfather but they were in the same generation and same town. Mr. Brissie passed away in 2013 at the age of 89. All day I have thought how cool it would have been to sit on granddads front porch swing and swap stories with he and Mr. Brissie about the good ole days. That is one conversation with my granddad that regrettably I never got to have. With the passing of my grandfather and Mr. Brissie and anyone else for that matter, unmeasurable knowledge and memories pass with them. As we travel to moms hometown this weekend I will be more attentive to what she has to say about her childhood memories and the stories she has to share. Remember, listen to that fruit fly because it might just tell you a story about a major league pitcher and a pop fly. ~JMH 08.18.2014~
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 23:34:10 +0000
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