Where doth modest pride and self worth come from?

As a feisty little lad -
essentially a runt of the class

intimidation experienced
when peering into the looking glass,
and especially summoning forth courage
to sneak a glance at one pretty lass
cuz I always felt myself undeserving
and as an adolescent
presented an unflattering impression
compromised promising prospects I confess
courtesy maintaining poor hygiene
and being easily viz Aerosmith
that dude looks like a lady -
leaving a first impression,
where nobody could guess,
whether yours truly a boy, girl
or alien hermaphrodite more less
and left to my own devices
during study hall in
junior/senior high school
or in lower grades watched other kids
making merry and laughing during recess.

unlike yours truly my youngest sister
demonstrated self assertion at birth

strong of body, mind and spirit
come the seventeenth of october
will celebrate sixty five years
of modest success accumulating
a tidy nest egg
courtesy a wide swath of experiences
glone trotting by traditional
modes of transportation
or old fashioned leather express
an enviable curriculum vitae
while living organically
and holistically with a syncretism
of core values accomplishing,
whose survivalist selfless character
kept her busily engaged
while breaking bad questioning authority
that gifted her

honest to goodness sticktoitiveness
maintaining extreme confidence
toward academic pursuits
ever she set foot and excelled
starting from the get go
to maintain obeisance
within storied walls of learning
rallying for causes
and people she cared about
embracing most all

embracing flora and fauna
maintaining fidelity towards husband
and delivering unstinting support
so each of those two lucky women
could maximize on their strengths
dear to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness

against nonestablishmentarian atop planet earth
whose failsafe credo, dogma, and ethics.

I attest that approximately
half life qua mein kampf

spanning three score and seven years
foisted wedded spousal commitment
paternal adoration of deux darling daughters
whereat the eldest
(born December 22nd, 1996)

fiercely competitive at a young age
despite myself and the missus
downplaying winning at all costs
and as a gifted indomitable
student on a fast track

simultaneously hitting the ground running
after the firing gun signals

bracing herself with baton in hand
doggedly intent to win the leg of the race
assigned to star student off to a sprint

a metaphor she subscribed
when persuing and receiving high marks
on and off the track field
whip smart at following
my (late) father's footsteps
the breadwinner whose
adequate middle class salary
allowed, enabled and provided
the trappings of the
so called the American Dream

supposedly employed for life
at General Electric Aerospace Division
but unforeseen economic downturn

and highly trained mechanical engineers
and manufacturing staff faced layoffs
at General Electric
during the mid-1970s
primarily due to a combination
of post-Vietnam defense spending cutbacks,
high inflation, and the disruptive shocks
of the 1970s energy crises
found my dad
without gainful employment,
which found him in a depression,

cuz all his life,
and being hashtagged
highly intelligent,
he attended a competitive school
in Bedford/Stuyvesant,
and then attended
City College of New York

that time tuition free
before attending graduate school
at Columbia University
or maybe he attended
the latter Ivy League
"Government Issue" or "General Issue" bill

after completing his stint in the military
and upon his death October 7th, 2020
our family received
brand new crisply folded American Flag

to honor his service,
despite his location
way behind the enemy lines.

Nary an inkling nor an iota
in the eyes of either newlywed
still in their honeymoon phase
hinted coalescence admixing
miracle that would get whipped soon thereafer,
when seeds of life and white lily
and did multiply a glorious June day
during 1955 when Uncle Sam
bestowed largesse
where the American economy
smack dab in the middle
of a powerful post-
World War II boom
that rapidly expanded
the middle class,
fueled mass consumerism,
and drove a massive wave
of suburban housing construction.