As a matter of fact, Aunt Mae had suffered through two stillborns, so she was not kidding — she wanted a child, and she had so much love to give. Her husband, my uncle Titán, would have been a complete pussy-cat with a kid . Their marriage would have been complete.

Everyone had to endure my Mom’s tears throughout the gestation period, and then when I finally arrived in this big, wild, wonderful world, she must’ve peeked through the tears as Dr. Clark placed me in her arms, and she saw this cute kid, and she said to my Dad: “Oh, my God, George, this baby is a keeper!”

That day of my arrival was April 23, 1918, and I have a feeling that my Mother had plans for me right then and there. She would haul me over to the Orange County Fair in Anaheim when I was 6 months old, and I would come away with the Blue Ribbon for Best Baby. Later, much later, that daughter would grow up and wear a Maroon sash as the Grand Marshal of the 51^st Annual Swallows Day Parade in San Juan Capistrano on March 21, 2009.

With all this drama going on, I ended up with 2 Moms, and enjoyed the times I had with each of them. I had Aunt Mae until she was 71 — I was 29 — and Mom until she was 95 — I was 55. The 2 of them were the most dominant forces in my life. After all, it was the 2 of them who each put their foot down and in loud voices simultaneously telling me NO, I WAS NOT JOINING THE NAVY!

This was when World War II was getting revved up, and I really was smitten with those darling uniforms those Navy ladies wore.