This American Life: Original Recipe

2-15-11

This week's This American Life was an interesting combination of acts. The first act was about discovering an old document that quite possibly contained the secret recipe (or one of them) for coca cola. The 2nd act was about a man who found what seemed to be authentic letters and documents that proved JFK and Marilyn Monroe were indeed lovers. The theme, it seemed, was making important discoveries in old, forgotten documents. 

In 2004 my family made our life-changing move from California to Michigan. From that time until I was in high school/college, I exchanged letters with my grandmother who was still in CA. I had stashed them all away years ago and hadn't really thought much about them. But then my grandma died, and suddenly I really wanted those letters, and made a point of searching for them when I visited my parents' house over Christmas break. I found them, and brought them back home with me in this box. Which has been sitting, hidden in my desk drawer ever since. It's been 2 and a half years, but I haven't yet had the courage to actually read them. Because I know it will make me cry.

But with everything going on in my life right now I think it is the perfect time to finally take a look at these letters. What important discoveries, tidbits of wisdom, or pieces of history that have been forgotten might I find? I can already see the little twinkle in her eye she would get when making a joke, or telling me about how she met my grandfather, or how proud she was of my mother (her daughter). Even if that twinkle is all I find in these letters, that's really the most important re-discovery I can think of.