Writing

The Jewish Lovebirds

While I was back home in New York for Thanksgiving, I got myself a handy little Flipcam. I tested the camera out by interviewing my 84 year-old grandmother, Nan, and her 83 year-old boyfriend, Lionel, about their Jewish heritage and how they met. Below are the best segments of our conversation. You will probably notice how much they bring out the worst in each other. In fact, it’s fair to say they down right can’t stand each other. Lionel is, what my grandmother calls, a “Jewish American Prince” and a “nudge”. Lionel has always been the jokester and the teaser and my grandmother, being the prim and proper lady that she is, has become less and less tolerable of his behavior over the years. Lionel is the sort of person while dining with my grandmother in a public restaurant, yell, “Help! Help! This little old lady is trying to grope me!” In fact, Lionel is often kicked out of public places much to my grandmother’s embarrassment. Unfortunately, Lionel’s behavior has become slightly more erratic since being diagnosed in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s. Also, I’d like to note, my grandmother is particularly cantankerous in this video because she was having extreme back pain and couldn’t walk well.
I can’t wait to get old!!!
As the Jewish Lovebirds explain, they met around thirteen years ago when my grandmother sued Lionel after she got her heel stuck in a tile of a building he owned and fell and broke her wrist. Nobody really liked Lionel, including my grandmother, but he became a family fixture soon enough and I can’t imagine him not being around. He still is a pain in the ass, but thinking about the nightmarish journey he and my grandmother are about to embark on breaks my heart.
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15 Comments

  • Reply Penny Lane November 30, 2010 at 4:00 pm

    This was absolutely great. I love old people.

    Especially Jewish grandparents,I have some of my own and they provide for endless entertainment. Oy Very!

  • Reply Chris November 30, 2010 at 4:16 pm

    That was in my mouth! Wash it off!

  • Reply bsimms8907 November 30, 2010 at 5:29 pm

    "Brenda did you like me?"

    Pause…

    "No!"

    Haha I loved that part!

  • Reply Hipstercrite November 30, 2010 at 5:35 pm

    @Penny- Endless entertainment indeed!
    Thank you for watching!

    @Chris- Ha. They're so mean to each other in that part.

    @Bsimms- Hahahaha. It's true. None of us liked him. However, we do now love him. Still don't like him though. 😉

  • Reply theTsaritsa November 30, 2010 at 6:26 pm

    They definitely have a unique "first meeting" story!

  • Reply kwerk November 30, 2010 at 6:56 pm

    Love it love it love it.

    Makes me even more eager to go see my grandparents over Christmas. 🙂

  • Reply "M" November 30, 2010 at 7:55 pm

    This is so cute.

  • Reply Lauramc December 1, 2010 at 1:28 am

    I absolutely love every minute of that video. They are darling and so funny! He reminds me a lot of my grandpa.

  • Reply Ells December 1, 2010 at 3:03 am

    Aw. Bittersweet. Definition of it.

  • Reply Big Mark 243 December 1, 2010 at 3:28 am

    I agree with Ells… he may be happy not to be alone… they both might be that, but your Nana seems to have done the math and reached the conclusion that putting up with his bs is better than not having anyone around to put up with…

  • Reply girluntitled December 1, 2010 at 6:36 am

    this was adorable! i love old fart romance!

  • Reply laurenne December 2, 2010 at 7:38 am

    love it! So so so cute. I love Lionel's hat. Or mak. Or whatever he said hat was in Hebrew.
    Totally reminds me of my family. I guess men NEVER change. Still talking about shit and sex even when they're old! Sigh.

  • Reply Kim December 3, 2010 at 8:26 pm

    OMGosh. Too fun!

  • Reply Ella December 4, 2010 at 1:07 am

    I finally got the chance to watch the clip today.

    I think you've got yourself a very solid family and you are so lucky.

    Your grandma and Lionel are too cute.

  • Reply Christopher December 6, 2010 at 4:46 pm

    That was insanely adorable. I can't wait to be an ornery old man and get kicked out of places.

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