The Dowling Blood Blister

Jean was a fellow member of Mrs. Waters’ (1959) 4^th grade class. And while I don’t recall forming a close attachment at the time, I did invite her to my 10^th birthday party, and remember the mile walk from the school to my “project style” house located at 670 Formosa Avenue.

Time wound its proverbial way under the bridge, we attended primary and secondary school together, graduated from the same high school, and dated one another during our first year of community college. As providence would have it, however, we both chose, (or were chosen by) someone else, married, and another decade passed.

And oddly enough, life threw us back together when, (independently of one another) we both divorced in the summer of 1980. We have surmised that since, by this time, we had known one another for a full twenty years, neither of us saw any great wisdom in procrastination. 

And, my readers, as you might well have guessed,

… we were married.

Another three and a half decades passed, and as I was sitting in my living room, and Jean was seated at the dining room table, just behind a half wall, she queried,

“Aren’t you related to the Dowling’s?”

To which I responded,

“Well, yes,… why, why do you ask?”

(Another question followed the first).

“Are you related to Jabez and Rebecca Dowling?”

(My curiosity was peaked now).

“Yes. They were my 4^th great grandparents.”

(A long pause).

“Uh, well, they were also my … 4^th great grandparents!”

(Can anybody say, “kissing cousins?”)

By this time, my wife and I had known one another for well over half a century, and we were just now finding out we are 5^th cousins.

A few additional months, and Jean and I were watching a movie on television, (or discussing the weather, or just “one thing or the other”) and, for no apparent reason, I glanced down at my wife’s left, inner wrist, and noticed 

… something very familiar to me.

For about two inches below where wrist and hand meet, 

… was a small blood blister.

Now, obviously there is nothing especially strange and wonderful about a blood blister, except yours truly sports a

… duplicate blood blister on my same wrist, and in the exact same spot!

And we have half-jokingly referred to it as, “The Dowling Blood Blister.”

(The jury is “still out,” but remind me to check out the wrists of a few more of our relatives sometime).

By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary" Vol. 21. Copyright pending

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