I wonder what he’ll think of meI guess he’ll call me the “old man”
Only a song, but the “Billy’s Soliloquy” lyrics capture the anticipation, and apprehensions, of the approaching father’s first born. Sung on Broadway’s Carousel— six years before Maxine gave birth to our first of four children.
First fathers telephone the relatives, pass out cigars. This one also wrote, printed and mailed BAWL birth announcements.
BAWL was a small edition—with mother and daughter’s hospital pictures plus new father and dog, Brownie, back page.
The announcement was fashioned after the cover of TIME magazine. That 1951 year, this BAWL editor was a West Texas string correspondent for TIME magazine.
Deal struck with the ‘Publisher’ was Mom could name if girl. Dad could name a boy. She chose Sheryl Lee–middle name remembers Maxine’s favorite uncle.
Dad wrote that Sunday was the day of birth and settled for a ‘groaner’:
There’s no male delivery on Sunday.
