Jack Hitt

And then he looked up at me and he said, he said, now you have to understand, my father comes from the rural area, marries the Southern Belle in Charleston, South Carolina. It's a marriage of two kinds of families in the South. And he said, son, I've worked all my life to make sure that when you or your sisters or your brother walk down the street, people say, there goes a hit.

And then he looked up at me and he said, he said, now you have to understand, my father comes from the rural area, marries the Southern Belle in Charleston, South Carolina. It's a marriage of two kinds of families in the South. And he said, son, I've worked all my life to make sure that when you or your sisters or your brother walk down the street, people say, there goes a hit.

They're good people. I don't think anybody, anything that anybody in this family has done has damaged that reputation as much as you have today. And he said, that is your punishment. You may go now. You know, I was 11. Wow. I was just, I was floored, you know. I asked him, I think, to spank me. Because, of course, part of me wanted an explosion that would end it.

They're good people. I don't think anybody, anything that anybody in this family has done has damaged that reputation as much as you have today. And he said, that is your punishment. You may go now. You know, I was 11. Wow. I was just, I was floored, you know. I asked him, I think, to spank me. Because, of course, part of me wanted an explosion that would end it.

But he said, when he dismissed me from the room, he said, you know, this has been your punishment. And then, of course, a couple of months later, he dies. And that's one of my last memories is him telling me that. Do you think he was being sincere? Well, I'll tell you. Years later... We had a little family reunion. I might have been 20. I was in college. And all my siblings got together.

But he said, when he dismissed me from the room, he said, you know, this has been your punishment. And then, of course, a couple of months later, he dies. And that's one of my last memories is him telling me that. Do you think he was being sincere? Well, I'll tell you. Years later... We had a little family reunion. I might have been 20. I was in college. And all my siblings got together.

They were all married at this point. We dismissed all the in-laws to go see the movies. And the five of us stayed up really late talking. And I don't think we'd ever really talked about our father.

They were all married at this point. We dismissed all the in-laws to go see the movies. And the five of us stayed up really late talking. And I don't think we'd ever really talked about our father.

in any deep way since he had died and i started telling that story and i had never told that story because i was ashamed of it damn it was the black mark on the family that i had done this right and i i couldn't bring to i'd never told anybody that story and i started telling the story and All my sisters start wailing with laughter.

in any deep way since he had died and i started telling that story and i had never told that story because i was ashamed of it damn it was the black mark on the family that i had done this right and i i couldn't bring to i'd never told anybody that story and i started telling the story and All my sisters start wailing with laughter.

And then they all start telling the story that what they had done that had prompted essentially the exact same speech. Like one of them had been caught shoplifting in Atlanta and he had to fly there and get her. And it was just a terrible story. I'd never heard that one before either. And I thought, well, painting a few bad words on a wall, that's nothing compared to shoplifting in Atlanta.

And then they all start telling the story that what they had done that had prompted essentially the exact same speech. Like one of them had been caught shoplifting in Atlanta and he had to fly there and get her. And it was just a terrible story. I'd never heard that one before either. And I thought, well, painting a few bad words on a wall, that's nothing compared to shoplifting in Atlanta.

I think I was the only one who didn't know. I mean, they're much older than I am. I'm a mistake, right? So my oldest sister is 16 years older than I am. So I think what was kind of moving about that whole encounter was that all of them had long ago forgotten their particular crime that had prompted Daddy to give them the big reputation speech.

I think I was the only one who didn't know. I mean, they're much older than I am. I'm a mistake, right? So my oldest sister is 16 years older than I am. So I think what was kind of moving about that whole encounter was that all of them had long ago forgotten their particular crime that had prompted Daddy to give them the big reputation speech.

But, you know, when I brought it up, it suddenly, for all of them, that all flooded back. I mean, it just created this great little moment where we all suddenly realized we were, you know, the whole family was just so defined by my father's rather Baptist sense of morality.

But, you know, when I brought it up, it suddenly, for all of them, that all flooded back. I mean, it just created this great little moment where we all suddenly realized we were, you know, the whole family was just so defined by my father's rather Baptist sense of morality.

I don't think she had ever directed. and she claimed to have acted, and it was never really quite clear just what her credentials were. But she had managed to convince the local theater department of this college that she should direct a production of Peter Pan.

I don't think she had ever directed. and she claimed to have acted, and it was never really quite clear just what her credentials were. But she had managed to convince the local theater department of this college that she should direct a production of Peter Pan.

Slowly but surely, you know, you began to hear, you know, sort of rumors about this production. For example, I know that they had spent a lot of money... renting these flying apparatuses out of New York. And apparently there's like one company and a handful of these apparatuses. And so to get them was a major coup.

Slowly but surely, you know, you began to hear, you know, sort of rumors about this production. For example, I know that they had spent a lot of money... renting these flying apparatuses out of New York. And apparently there's like one company and a handful of these apparatuses. And so to get them was a major coup.