‘But can you find it on a map?’
Please forgive the Green Eggs and Ham cadence; I couldn’t help myself. Everyone’s been so crabby lately. We’ve got the Secretary of State yelling at NPR reporters while waving maps — “Go on, Missy! Find Ukraine! I double-dog dare ya!” (She does, then tells on him. What did he think she’d do — she’s a reporter.)
Then we’ve got Our President congratulating the Kansas City Chiefs — from the Great State of Kansas — on their Super Bowl win. This time Claire McCaskill got a little testy:
I’ll let that one slide since she was pretty hilarious, and also because she used to be a senator from, ahem, Missouri. Which is where the Chiefs are actually from. (I used to be from Missouri, too, having spent my formative post-grad new-to-advertising years there. But those are whole ‘nother stories. Which you can find under the “Adland Lore” tab in the sidebar if you are bored and it’s raining like it is here.)
Me, doing something Important as Creative Director of a fair-to-middlin’ size ad agency in Kansas City, Missouri
“But what about Yap?” you may be thinking. Is that Yap up on that map? Well, yes it am, Sam I Am. And why do we care about Yap? Well, I was chatting away on the phone with my mother and we got to talking about the Henry Family. There are waaaaay more of them (my father having been one of eight children) than we’ve got on the Peterson Side.
A mere fraction of — tho quite a few — Henry-Side-People were on hand for my afore-mentioned mother’s 90th birthday celebration last fall
Anyway. We were talking about how we get such a kick out of those Henrys but we’ve lost track of a lot of them, and not just because there are so many. They also have a tendency to move Far Away. We’ve got members of the Henry Family Tree not only in places like Detroit, we’ve got a branch in Spain and even a twig in Montenegro. (Which is next to Albania; I just looked.)
And then Mom mentioned the Cousin in Yap.
It’s a good thing I had just finished my coffee, because I would have spit some all over the rented oatmeal-colored staged-for-selling-the-apartment couch. “Yap?!? There is a place called Yap?” “Yes, there is indeed a place called Yap,” my mother assured me.
Another map. Of Yap. Note there is a town called Maap. I’m dying here
And not only is there a place called Yap, my dear mother continued, “but I’ve been there.”
“You’ve been to Yap?” I was beyond astonished. You think you know a person, right? Well, I’ve known this woman for, well, all my life and I had no idea she’d been to Yap. Will wonders never cease. Or maybe it’s “still waters run deep.” Whatever. I was gobsmacked.
A Threesome of Henrys. So glad they don’t live in (on?) Yap, since they wouldn’t have made it to the party. Or maybe they would have?
I was laughing so hard I didn’t get the details about what on earth my mother was doing on the other side of the earth in Yap, of all places. (I think it had something to do with a plane layover during their trip to Australia and New Zealand years ago.) And I most definitely did not get the full story about the Cousin Who Lives There. (I think she’s the daughter of a cousin; a first cousin once removed — removed all the way to Yap.)
I promise to ask Mom next time we’re on the phone. If I can stop laughing long enough.
New York City (definitely not Yap). February 2020
I always enjoy seeing Claire McCaskill on MSNBC. Love her to the point commentary on the Doofus-in-Chief’s geographical deficits! Thanks for another fun post. Love your writing!
Why, thank you Rhonda! I appreciate the positive feedback. And I appreciate that there are smart tough cookies like Claire out there!
Another great read, as always, and speaking of finding obscure places, have you seen What Three Words?
https://what3words.com/
No, I haven’t, Denny! “What Three Words”? I am so clicking on your link. Thank you xoxoxo
Don’t know if the Yap layover was going or coming from Australia, but your Mother’s luggage never arrived in Australia!
Oh yes! I had almost forgotten that sad slice of travel trivia. I remember her saying that their suitcases were always one stop behind them. And that buying replacement clothes cost a fortune!
I actually did have a sense of where Yap is–it figured in the island-hopping campaigns of WWII. So–Yap was a snap.
“Yap was a snap” (!!!) For you, Mr. W, for you! Thank you for sharing your map knowledge. And for not being crabby. xoxoxo
Thank you! I have been among those feeling crabby. It’s so gray here, I need snow–planning a ski day with my more adventurous twin. I appreciated the break of giggles this morning!
Hi Becca! I met a neighbor out walking her (very small) dog today who said that gray mornings make her think of Paris. “Good try,” I said.
Wow, I’ll have to try that–think of Paris on gray days. Hmmm. Worth a shot, since it doesn’t look like I’ll be heading to Paris anytime soon!
I love your stories about the “family,” they are entertaining and funny!
Hey there Cathy! Good to hear from you. So glad you like my family stories. It’s a pretty cool (and funny) family, if I do say so myself. xoxo