"We are such stuff as dreams are made on..." (The Tempest)

I make no claim to be a medical researcher or a lab technician or whoever is in charge of these things, but there really must be something to this DNA stuff besides a starring role on CSI and Law and Order. My son, Joel, has done a spectacular genealogy chart of our family which anyone interested can find on the internet, but genealogy charts do not do justice to the effect of DNA on members of the family. My mother's family, the Auslanders, appear to have inherited the talent DNA all the way down (so far) to her great grandchildren. My mother was for a time a night club singer and her sister, Bessie, was a very talented writer--never published, however. I was the first member of the family to have graduated from college, and while in retirement (the DNA is rather slow, I guess), I had the performing gene. In our condominium 600+ theater I had the leading role in several productions of Broadway shows such as PAJAMA GAME, MUSIC MAN, SHOWBOAT, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, MY FAIR LADY, HMS PINAFORE, THE MIKADO, and PIRATES of PENZANCE. I could always sing, and I must have learned to act through years of teaching. I also inherited the writing gene having written and published my autobiography in MEMOIRS of a TAIL GUNNER and several books of blogs and poetry.

My mother's sister, Bessie had four children, one of whom had professional musical talent. My cousin, Eddie played drums with the KIRBY STONE FOUR, a group that opened Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, made several albums, and had their own television show--black and white. Eddie is also now retired.

My sister's son, Jeffrey (known now as "Zaldor") has a great voice and music has been a part of his whole life, but unfortunately he has never capitalized on his talent. Of my mother's seven other grandchildren, three graduated college--my son, Joel and my daughter, Robin, and my sister's son, David. Shayne, my sister's granddaughter is a real talent--acting and singing. She is soon graduating from the prestigious high school, the Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach. Rhoda and I went to see her perform in FAME and she was brilliant. She also has the red hair gene, passed down from my father, to me, and to my sister's granddaughter. But the talent gene seems to have skipped a generation and went on a real tear with my mother's great grandchildren, Adam, Hannah, Sean, Shayne, Megan and her great niece, Michelle--all of whom are college graduates with the exception of Shayne who is just graduating from high school and Megan who graduated last June. Adam is the founder of a Graphic Designer company, Hannah is a fashion photographer (and red haired!) for a California magazine and she had a showing of her photos in London. Her father assures me that she has the performing gene but has desided that her career will be in back of the camera. Sean is a talented artist who has had two shows and who is now attending the California School of the Arts. Michelle, my second cousin is an Opera singer who has performed professionally and who now is teaching singing in FIU. Megan is going to a performing arts school in New York, and Shayne expects to follow her there. Next stop, Broadway? Hollywood? What more can I say? Well, I can say a lot more, but I'm already confused enough.