The Joy of Growing-up Italian

Hi! Everyone:

For several weeks , I've been very busy surfing the internet, seeking those who have placed the essay "The Joy of Growing-up Italian" on the Internet as Author Anonymous. I want to thank each and everyone for doing so. What a great show of appreciation! Several of you have also expressed a desire to know the author and John Pirelli is one of them. I believe he is the proprietor of The John Pirelli Lodge in Dayton, Ohio. Thank you , John, for your kind words.

YES! I am 99 years old.....and YES I am the author of "THE Joy of Growing-up Italian, which I wrote on an old manual typewriter in 1968.....and yes, I am The Oldest Blogger on Earth until someone else older than me claims the title. . The validator is Eric Shackle....the renowned World Newsman, Journalist, Internet Investigator and Publisher - to whom I shall eternally be grateful. It was my first blog that resulted in my being named as the oldest blogger....and it was my first blog, unwittingly, caused reaction to my essay The Joy of Growing-up Italian.

My essay gave me much pleasure over the years, especially in the seventies and eighties. Many paesan-friends, who had experienced all that I had were so delighted when they read my essay. When I lived in Toms River, N.J., I know for a fact, that my friends in Silver Ridge Park, as well as those in Holiday City, Crestwood Village, and several nearby communities, took my essay and made copies for their respective friends throughout the United States. I nearly fell-off of my chair, when Claire in 2006 told me it was on the Internet. When I was 95-years old, I wrote my last version after a Thanksgiving celebration in my apartment, and I marked it as the last version. It is very similar to the 1978-1980 versions...as to facts, words and phrases (except that I moved them around a little) and added a new paragraph. ....bringing it to the 'first person'.

To those who took my words, thoughts and phrases (which MY BRAIN created) and used them to be their words, I hold no animosity. Years ago someone coined these words: "Imitation is the greatest form of Flattery" I only ask them to read my future blogs and then to return to me the RIGHT to my essay.

See you later.