Will Wilkinson - Latest Comments in Dreams from My Grandfather

Re: Dreams from My Grandfather

willwilkinson — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:18:17 -0000

Hey RJ, Yup, Dorothy was my mom. So you're Leo Jr.'s your dad, I'm guessing. Perhaps we met briefly at Gene's funeral? Drop me a line some time and tell me what you're up to.

Re: Dreams from My Grandfather

RJ — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:14:33 -0000

HI i guess that makes you my cousin leo draveling is my grandpa too so i guess dorthy most of been your mom i never meet her but only heard good things about her i never got to met my grandpa or my grandma either but i know them throgh story's i've heard growing up.

Re: Dreams from My Grandfather

Sol — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:44:38 -0000

Huh. What catches my attention there is that he played tackle on a championship team at 208 pounds. Today's Wolverine linemen would be a lot closer to 308. Strange to think I was too small to have a chance to play football there in 1988, but would have been the biggest guy on the team in 1930....

Re: Dreams from My Grandfather

Harry — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:00:35 -0000

Whether you prefer it or not, a lot of your future physical health and some of your behavior is influenced by each of your grandparents. As you get older--40 is often when it starts--you will find yourself, if you're like many people, exploring your ancestry. You'll perhaps find that you, to your surprise, have a streak of brutishness or some more desirable trait, and you'll wonder where that came from.

Re: Dreams from My Grandfather

GilM — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:48:02 -0000

Looks like he's number 27, not 37.

Re: Dreams from My Grandfather

Kyle — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:40:34 -0000

Things to consider:

1) How much is your "choice" not to attribute signifiance or meaning to the heritage you share with your grandfather determined by the fact that you didn't know him, as opposed to your desire (I'm assuming) to define yourself without reference to the ancestral? You might be more inclined to say you share things in common had you had a relationship with him (although empirically, as mentioned above, the amount of his natural endownment that is yours would be the same in both instances).

2) The average defensive tackle for the Michigan Wolverines today weighs 296 pounds. I hope you like creatine.

Re: Dreams from My Grandfather

Skeptical — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:14:05 -0000

"That about a quarter of my genes are his makes his story part of mine only in a small causal sense."

"My junior high English teacher (or the sum total of things I have eaten, for that matter) have more to do with what I am."

That seems empirically pretty dubious, if we're talking about shaping your personality, abilities, life-projects, your mother, etc.