1. The Typewriter Incident:
This was one of my favorite stories for Mamie to tell. She had to go to work in Paris at 18 (instead of college as she had hoped) to support her family during World War II. I remember being awed as a child by her cool secretary skillz, like seeing her take notes in shorthand. Anyway, she was working as a secretary during the war, and there would often be strikes or blockades that made it difficult to get to work. Apparently there were a couple of young guys in the office who would hitch rides with Nazi soldiers on these days. Mamie's boss was giving her a hard time, asking her why these guys made it to work and she hadn't. He pushed her too far, so she threw her typewriter on the ground (probably while saying a few choice words), left, and never went back.
2. F*ck Yourself, You Sh*thead!
My parents told me this one; I think it happened before I was born. Mamie was never very comfortable driving on the highway, and while she was slowly trundling along one day, some jerky guy decided he was tired of being stuck behind her. While passing, he yelled, "Hey lady, f*ck you!" Without hesitation she leaned out the window and retorted, "Go f*ck yourself, you sh*thead!"
Both of these stories highlight her French temper, which she certainly possessed, but there was of course a very sweet and loving side to her as well that I look forward to sharing in future posts. :o)
This was one of my favorite stories for Mamie to tell. She had to go to work in Paris at 18 (instead of college as she had hoped) to support her family during World War II. I remember being awed as a child by her cool secretary skillz, like seeing her take notes in shorthand. Anyway, she was working as a secretary during the war, and there would often be strikes or blockades that made it difficult to get to work. Apparently there were a couple of young guys in the office who would hitch rides with Nazi soldiers on these days. Mamie's boss was giving her a hard time, asking her why these guys made it to work and she hadn't. He pushed her too far, so she threw her typewriter on the ground (probably while saying a few choice words), left, and never went back.
2. F*ck Yourself, You Sh*thead!
My parents told me this one; I think it happened before I was born. Mamie was never very comfortable driving on the highway, and while she was slowly trundling along one day, some jerky guy decided he was tired of being stuck behind her. While passing, he yelled, "Hey lady, f*ck you!" Without hesitation she leaned out the window and retorted, "Go f*ck yourself, you sh*thead!"
Both of these stories highlight her French temper, which she certainly possessed, but there was of course a very sweet and loving side to her as well that I look forward to sharing in future posts. :o)
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