The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 7

Original oil painting by: Grandfather’s wife

The following was written by my late wife Elaine. She wrote a long book, a diary really, from which this is one passage:

When I graduated from The High School of Commerce in June of 1952, Dave was home on furlough and he went with me to a graduation party given by one of my teachers. In his Army uniform, Dave looked older than the other fellas, all in civilian clothes; they were four years younger, the same as me, and I was real proud of my man in uniform.

Stenographer, Detroit Institute of Arts, Starting After Graduation. The job offer that came to me by telephone, for the position of stenographer to the Curator of Oriental Art, Mr. Paul Grigaut, at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The Art Institute job paid alot and sounded exciting, and I told Civil Service I’d let them know the very next day. I called Aunt Chris, who had “been around,” and asked her what I should do. She told me, “Go where the money is.”

I did that, and never regretted it. White-haired Mr. Grigaut spoke with a charming French accent, he was kind, lovely to work for, and he came to my wedding along with two or three other museum people, which made me feel very special.

Art Institute employees included three or four other secretaries, a crew of men who shipped works of art going out on loan to other museums and received shipments on loan from other museums around the country, specialized curators, an insurance clerk, an educational activities person, tour guides, the Director, Dr. Edgar Richardson, whose secretary I replaced whenever she was absent, the switchboard operator, and the two librarians. One was a sweet, severely deformed lady, and the other was a grumpy, disagreeable young man with a pinched-up face, who I’m sure had a pinched-up heart and soul, and is one of the few people I’ve met in my life who I didn’t like at all.

Other than him, this was a very fine group of different types of people, all older than me, up to retirement age, including two dainty, ladylike men who walked on their tiptoes.

To be continued…

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About the Author: RD Blakeslee is a nonagenarian in West Virginia who built his net worth by only investing in that which can be enjoyed during acquisition and throughout life, as opposed to papers in a drawer, like stocks and bonds. You can read more about him here.

Photos: Courtesy of the Blakeslee Family