Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/78062
ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL O'LEARY CITYQUETTE...by ellen ryan almost a kennedy M to discover IF YOU DISCOVER A FAMOUS RELATIVE ON YOUR FAMILY TREE, MAYBE IT'S BEST JUST TO ADMIRE FROM AFAR. ore people are climbing into their family tree these days, often secretly wishing connection—to someone on the Mayflower, maybe, or royalty. Better yet, George Clooney. Worse, she sat on her lead, never shored up spe- cial-interest support, made gaffe after gaffe on the stump, let the African-American churches slip to her Republican opponent, and eventually blew the election, 51 to 48 percent. But if you do find a familial connection with some living bold-facer, what does it mean? In our celebrity-crazed society, isn't that the equivalent of hitting the ancestral jackpot? I'd recommend keeping expectations in check. Remember, celebrities are people too. While millions still find the Kennedys fascinating more than 50 years after JFK took office, I've always had a smidgen more reason to: My great-grandmother Mary O'Brien was a cousin of Rose Fitzgerald, mother of Jack, Bobby, and the rest. While I was growing up, my parents always took note when "Uncle Ted" appeared on TV, but that was the extent of our involvement with that branch of the family. The blood was running pretty thin by my generation, so I never felt the Kennedy connection worth mentioning to anyone but intimates. About 10 years ago, however, came an opportunity to meet some of the "relatives." Nothing personal—just a large birthday party/fundraiser for Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, who planned to run for governor, at the Shriver estate in Potomac, Maryland. Cool! But, like many family gather- ings, this one left a bit to be desired. A smiling Mark Kennedy Shriver, about to run for Congress himself, autographed my invitation, but KKT just backed away awkwardly. 84 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM That's okay. So what if a famed branch of the family tree doesn't bring me any sailing invitations from Hyannis? I'd seen up close that Ted would have fit right in at a Ryan family reunion. That was better than any sailboat. I'm glad I have my connection, however distant, however human. Now I just want Joseph P. Kennedy III to win and for the next generation to keep me proud. BC Disheartened, I blasted her in a screed on my employer's website. Citing her grandmother Rose's campaigning in Boston neighborhoods rich and poor, and her father Bobby's cultivation of both friends and frenemies, I charged KKT with giving away the governorship and wrote, "We're distant cousins, Kathleen…You knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was an uncle of yours. And you, Kathleen, are no Jack Kennedy." Needless to say, I got no response. What, you thought she might care? But having outed myself on the Internet as a presidential relative, I now faced raised eyebrows from colleagues at the magazine where I worked. Some found me more interesting. My favorite cynical reporter, Harry, growled, "Prove it." I just grinned and pointed at the two huge front teeth he'd seen countless times. Bobby teeth. Harry's smirk vanished. KKT faded back into obscurity almost as quickly as the fuss blew over for me. Cousin Caroline I f lirted with a New York State Senate run and wisely bailed. I finally met Uncle Ted a couple of years before his death. Excited, told him we were related. He looked delighted and clapped me on the shoulder—then looked just as delighted to greet the person behind me. a new gilded My initial thrill at cousin Kathleen's statewide run slowly turned into dismay. Townsend never cashed my donation check—granted, it was only $20, but don't pols need every cent they can get?