Where I’m From #19

By Erik Sandstrom

Inspired by George Ella Lyon

I am from the toy bins at the Ben Franklin Five and Dime

From a Mattel Fanner 50 and a tube of Testor’s glue

I am from a tiny bedroom, walls papered with photos from the pages of Car Craft and Hot Rod magazine

Safe, embracing - leaves from the backyard oak brush against my window screen

I am from the onions rotting in Sakata’s field which we hurled at each other on the walk to school

I’m from cramped family road trips in the blue 63 Volkswagen and Ed Sullivan on Sunday night at

Grandpa and Grandma’s

I’m from my father Bill, who dies the year I was born, mom Margie, with two sons to raise, and stepdad

Clint – dutiful, restrained, unknowable

I’m from quiet avoidance and whispered kindness

From “If you fall into Fulton’s ditch, you’ll turn into a buttercup” to “Crying upstairs in a bucket!”

I’m from my Jewish mother and grandparents, being baptized as a Methodist, and survivor of the

Brighton Seventh Day Adventist academy

Born in Denver with a family tree reaching through Sweden and Eastern Europe

From Cheerios with blueberries and sun tea

From Grandpa riding the streetcar downtown to the Western Union building where he deciphered

telegrams; from sitting in the car, reading comics, while mom attended her medical vocabulary classes

I am from the decades of photos – grey and white, Kodachrome and polaroids - stored in containers in

the closet. And my son’s artwork on the wall. His school writing projects and drawings tucked away in

folders for the day he shares them with his daughter.

Where to find Alyson:

Website: https://www.alysonshelton.com

Substack: https://whereimfrom.substack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byalysonshelton/