I am adopted. I also have red hair and a ton of freckles. Growing up I was teased a lot about my hair and freckles and I hated both. My mother was a beautiful Greek woman with olive skin and shiny black hair. I thought she looked like a movie star.
To help me like my red hair my Mom got me to watch Rita Hayworth movies. I become obsessed. I got books about her from the library. Then my mother said the words that would change everything. "When you grow up you are going to look just like her!".
What? What are you telling me? So it's her? Then I did the math. She would have been 53 years old. Nope. I had to search deeper . Did she have a daughter? Yes! Princess Yasmin Aga Khan. She would have been 22 when I was born. I think we have a winner! After a bit more sleuthing this 7 year old had her proof. A picture of her with Margot Trudeau... A CANADIAN! I Jenny Jackson the daughter of a princess. My parents were a bourgeois cover up.
I kept the secret over a year . But after a scolding I felt was not deserved , they needed to know that the jig is up. Once again my Mother is laughing hysterically . "Barry get in here!!". My Dad enters the room.
"Did you know that we were living with royalty?" I have never heard my parents laugh as long or as hard as they did that day. My mom was laughing so hard she was in tears.
My Grandmother that never was (? a girl can dream right?)
Rita Hayworth
3 comments:
I am loving all your work and your stories. Fantastic job. Thank you.
Lol! What a wonderful story - and so well written!! I just retold it to my mother and daughter. I love your work, as well! This is all incredibly inspiring. I just got here after reading about you on "Feeling Stitchy" and I can't wait to explore further and read your whole blog. I hope that you have included some information about your process. I loved the pieces featured on FS, especially the one of Owen Wilson as Richie Tenenbaum. "The Royal Tenenbaums" is one of my favorite films (and I'm a huge film buff). I recognized him immediately, before reading the caption. Forget "Julie and Julia" - this is the year-long project for me! (Do the give "Webby" awards for this kind of website? They should, and I would nominate and vote for yours! I'm going to check....)
Will you be doing an extra one on February 29th? A good friend of mine is having his 10th birthday on that date (actually he is turning 40). If you are looking for ideas, feel free to take that one: a visual representation of someone avoiding the big Four-Oh by using the leap-year loophole...
Thank you for sharing this wonderful body of work and congratulations on getting this far! I'm adding your blog to my "must read" list. :)
-sam- (oSoFine)
The "did you know that we are living with royalty" part gave me a giggle. I'm having fun reading your stories. :)
-Sara-
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