My mom and dad have...
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Object:
My mom and dad have lived in the same small town for over seventy years. After being
away for many years, it is always interesting to come back. When I visit the town library
or go to the post office or the one restaurant (still) in town, people will often ask if I'm
from around there. I say, "Yes" and they want to know who I am. When I tell them my
full name, they look quizzical. They are trying to figure out which Schmitz I belong to in
town. When I tell them my dad's and mom's first names, their faces inevitably light up,
and they say, "Oh, you're Jokie's (or Laura's) kid" or, as some people knew my dad as
Schmitty, they might say, "Oh, you're Schmitty's girl!" I am not known for who I am on
my own terms in that town, but I am known primarily as the daughter of my father.
