Blue Wedding Shoes

C. Stroup - Memoirs of The Klackerman

20.11.10

Many families have a white elephant that has been passed around over the years, so from that standpoint The Klackerman wasn’t much different.  What made him so unique was the random places we’d find for him to be a surprise.  His first appearance was in 1970.

The Klackerman was a measuring glass for shots.  He stood a little over 5 inches tall, was made of porcelain and his top hat was the measure.  It was black and said “A measure of cheer” right on it.  This matched his black tuxedo which was accented with a blue striped vest.  He had a round pudgy face with a silly grin.  He was ridiculous.

The Klackerman belonged to my grandmother and I have no clue as to when or how she became his owner.  But at some point she gave him to my mother.  I can only guess that Grandma had about as much use for him as she did for my mom, ergo, ‘the gift.’  It became real obvious real quick that my mom didn’t like him either.  So, of course, she tried to pawn him off on me.  She insisted he’d look adorable on the bookcase in my apartment.  I tried desperately to convince her otherwise and thought I had.  But the next day, after her visit, I discovered The Klackerman grinning at me from the top shelf of my bookcase.  He was tacky.  I stuffed him in a drawer and forgot about him for a while.

Source: The Cross Timbers Gazette