Big Sister Mariam.

[Edward Dean]

Big sister Mariam was the eldest girl and had a striking facial resemblance and personality to Gladys but if you ever had enough nerve to tell her that, she would deftly rip your throat out with a rusty nail.

You see, Mariam and Gladys were so overtly alpha female, they didn’t get along well; Most of Miriam’s snide intellectual remarks slid uncontested past Gladys; not that Gladys didn’t understand but I really think she secretly admired Miriam’s language  dexterity in using it to get her way and the last thing Mariam ever wanted was a gaggle of children to chain her down, like Gladys.

Mariam graduated with highest honors and easily got a high paying job with Lawyers Title Corporation and it wasn’t necessarily because Uncle Ellis was a managing partner, though it didn’t hurt, but it was her aggressiveness and intelligence the company bought.

She was out of the house and on her way toward independence with her first paycheck.

Sadly, she married a gregarious good looking intellectual loser that she clearly dominated but the ensuing three children cut her glorious career and dreams short.

I always suspected her brain was often repeating the overly used movie line; “ I coulda’ been a champ….I coulda’ been a champ!”; Miriam’s’ dreams died hard in the silence of her middle class suburban home.

Pix is Mariam and Sam  at Junior High graduation. She made up the two year difference in their grade level in a heartbeat.

[Vincent Michael]

She was out of the house and on her way toward independence with her first paycheck. Loved this. Usually females like spending on themselves. And it's true, women sometimes marry nerds who they can dominate so to make life easy. But the actual test is when the kids come in...

[bolton carley]

gita - goober in my parts can also be slang for a dorky looking guy.

[Edward Dean]

Thanks all, I,'m glad I wasn't boring you with the series.

@ Rob; dead on and good eye guy. It pleases me that my message was conveyed.

@ T and Gita; The pix contains the big goober and little goober (peanut) but I cropped it so didn't  detract from the story.

[Gita]

I agree with Robert and Mike.

@Teresa: what exactly is a goober? I thought it meant 'peanut.'

[Teresa]

Mona Lisa Smiles is a movie about the Mariams of the world.  At the end of it I wanted to scream. 

Sam looks like a goober.

Love these, Ed.  Truly.  Every word.

[Angela]

Each of your family members have a life event or a trait I can identify with.  I am enjoying seeing how they have lived their lives.  You do them justice, I am sure.

[Mike Handley]

What Robert said.

[bolton carley]

um... i want to hear more about them.  you know me and alpha females. :)  i love listening to you talk about them. 

[Robert Crisman]

That's a damn shame, and it seems to happen over and over and over. There's a hell of a lot of social and political pressure on women to submit to their "biological destiny." What a fucking waste of spirit and talent.

[Javed Baloch]

She sounds rather familiar to be honest. And I think line 5 sums up the lives of the Mariams of this world rather well. And I suppose its only fair because everything in life comes with its own price tag. Nicely done!