You’ll likely never have to make a choice between the two, but I’m curious. Normally this would not be a lead-in to a story about lonely old people, but think about how great a massage would feel to someone who rarely feels the human touch. Uncle Donnie (Z’L of blessed memory) was a confirmed bachelor. He was my mother-in-law’s first cousin and they were a very close extended family. Gloria and Uncle Donnie weren’t just cousins, they were best friends too. Uncle Eddie was the third musketeer. The Freeman family has a colorful history. I’m not sure how many brothers there were, or how many were in the family business, but Gloria, Eddie, and Donnie grew up living a life of privilege. Horse racing in the 30’s and 40’s was very lucrative for bookies. Their childhood and teenage years were spent at race tracks and occasionally tagging along when their parents went to a night club. Old movies from family picnics showed the men in shirt sleeves playing pinochle and looking away from their card game only long enough to smile for the camera. They were a family who liked action. Read next feature >