Debra Brown and Dorlis Notto

00:01 Hello, my name is Deborah Wilbert Brown. I'm 67 years. Old. Today is Friday. April, 19th. I am in Little Rock Arkansas. And my partner. Today is my sister. Regine notto. She's my one and only sister.

00:21 Good morning. Good afternoon driver. My name is Regine, not so, I am 64 years old. Today's date is Friday, April 9th 2021. I've located in Little Rock Arkansas. And the my conversation partner is my sister. Deborah will be brown. I guess we can start riding with our conversation.

00:50 You know, I guess what you do because this is not our first rodeo with storycorps and I some of the things that have been pressing up on our lives since that time. A lot of changed. We have now lost both parents. My mother was alive the last time we did it and she had Alzheimer's. So we wanted to include her but we didn't because of that but so much since then first is the first thing was the racial climate in our country.

01:28 And then it was compounded by the pandemic.

01:36 When did you first know that this pandemic was real?

01:39 You remember we first met?

01:42 I think it was maybe April.

01:47 We're really starting to sit in with me when?

01:51 Numbers are going up everywhere. The deaths are really Rising everywhere and then, you know watching it on TV. It's just

02:00 It makes it real for me.

02:07 Okay. When was it for you?

02:10 Well, now this is I knew that this is real when that other guy came on TV and said we had nothing to worry about you to worry about everything. As soon as he said that we got problems and no time. And here we are here and here we are still now, so I suspected from the very beginning.

02:45 That we were in for a big trouble.

02:52 If you could ask anybody.

02:55 Anybody in Life or advice on getting through this? Who would you ask living or dead?

03:02 If I could ask anybody.

03:06 Living room.

03:10 To get through this pandemic.

03:15 That's a hard question.

03:23 I guess.

03:24 Maybe my dad.

03:27 Why don't you stay?

03:30 Cuz he was probably around when they had other crisis, you know.

03:35 Was he around when they have the flu. Yeah, you lived through the Great Depression. Yeah, and I'm sure.

03:53 You know, some

03:59 I know the word. I'm looking for words of wisdom. Yes. I'm kind of encouragement.

04:08 We got it. We can get through this.

04:12 Why would you ask?

04:18 Because Mom has faced so many adversities in her life. She face things to Daddy, never face, you know, she came from an agricultural Community where he lived in a little

04:32 She was the first one of her family to graduate from high school to the first one of her house to graduate from high. School is the first one but of Life were so different and he is

04:59 I would say that she would have she could have related to the family who?

05:07 Was concerned about not having enough to eat or not being able to pay the rent.

05:17 Where I don't think Daddy's childhood experiences included, things like that.

05:26 Stop playing in, cuz you

05:31 But so yeah, I would I would ask her, you know.

05:37 And, you know, although daddy could be.

05:41 Daddy was wanting to give you the answers. Go do this, go do this. But mama was the one to say hello. Okay, we can live through this and this is how we're going to do it true. This is how we're going to do it. So, I mean, she be the one that I

05:57 So if Courtney needs tomorrow will be the first thing you would do.

06:01 I probably call my brothers.

06:07 And you and friends say hey, let's get together now. I need a hug.

06:15 Yeah, you know, we haven't been together. I mean we're together now because we've had her right? And we're just now putting, you know, the mask down right around family, right?

06:37 Yeah, I thank God to thank you.

06:41 Of course.

06:44 Probably get together with family. That's really bad. So, is that what you do?

06:57 And being able to just be comfortable, you know, if you go to the grocery store, if you knew somebody,, just to be able to let down your guard.

07:13 Just a little cuz we still got to have a card up, really.

07:19 Justin Bieber.

07:23 Eddie's.

07:26 Yeah.

07:32 Well, I'll tell you what I miss.

07:35 What I miss most is.

07:39 Touch human touch, you know, we're Southerners to walk up to somebody and just say, wait, when you really can't see how they move their eyebrows or how they feel their heads and you know that I'm sure that we're all going to change some things, but the handshake but just grabbing somebody, you know, or just bumping a shoulder.

08:25 And, you know,

08:29 I miss, I miss you man, and not just family members, you know, friend friends, and I know that I have been alone sometime and I'm not the tallest person and I'll see a couple, whose husband is tall and I'll walk up and I'll tap the lady on the Shelby. Excuse me, but could your husband get that on the second shelf for me? And I'm right there in their personal space asking this. There's no way I'll do that now, just no way. I am not getting that close to anybody. I have been going down the grocery aisles.

09:07 And I see somebody who's where I want to pick up a product in your wait until I don't know and hope that, you know, by the time I make it back around, they have moved out. So I miss that being able to communicate other than with words so much. I miss that so much so much. I volunteered before the pandemic. I miss that. I miss not being able to go out and serve others, you know, we attended church before I didn't ride and although we have very well at least for me. It won't, you know, it won't be the same. I'll be in and out into the fresh air.

10:05 Almost back to normal.

10:08 Where we don't have to be so terrified all the time.

10:13 I don't see any.

10:26 So, germophobic down.

10:29 Yeah, who knew that? We weren't wash your hands enough. True when you went to the grocery store or any time. You went out, once you got in your house, you wouldn't wash the door knobs now. Wouldn't you know, Lysol wipes?

10:48 Yep, so things will never, I don't think they'll ever be the same. I just don't know where we're going to live in semi bubbles for the rest of our lives. At least, at least. That's what I think.

11:10 Are you highlighted questions? I wish I had to work.

11:16 Okay. Okay. Well so much about the quarantine. Okay, on this one, tell me about the kindest person to you and your life Grandma cell.

11:52 And she she was at grandmother that, if you fail, you hit your finger. And could you bring it here? Let me kiss it and make it better. That's just

12:05 Yep. Yep, and she's just kind to everybody and I don't think I remember her getting just angry, you know, I know she had her moments. She was Grandma and I definitely miss her.

12:31 I think the sweetest lady in the neighborhood myself over there and Saturday.

12:42 I think she was the kindest.

12:45 Now, you know, I thought about this and the other day when we were talking about it. I thought. Yeah, but I'm going to tell you there were two people and I couldn't Grandpa Grandpa.

13:01 I never heard him say a negative word about anyone, not an adult, not a neighbor, not one of his children and his grandchildren, not one word. I never heard him raise his voice to anyone and everyone gave him the utmost. Respect and encouraging word, especially when we were young kids and encouraging word want to know about your grades and how you were doing and how you were behaving in school. She was mama. Always said, dad is such a sweet person. My daddy was such a sweet person.

13:58 And did you get enough food? Yes.

14:14 I talked about him. I was, you know, reminiscing after we would eat, just tell me and let me see. Did you get that food?

14:25 I remember that. Is it how you describe this? Okay, a typical family dinner when we were growing up.

14:43 Pool table.

14:46 Oh, people. Okay. Family dinner. That would be the siblings and the mom and dad, right? Okay, you want the full description of this family sedan with the food on the table, right? And everybody would have to say grace, right? And if you didn't know what today, you knew it the next time, right?

15:22 If Mama would fix the place and pass them around, right? We would get our place, right?

15:29 And then we started eating, but if your manners were off, you got back on right quick. If you knew not to do it, the next time you would subject to be.

15:47 Escorted from the table to get it, right? And then come back, right?

15:53 It was all in.

15:56 Growing up and training children. That's that's the way it was at our house during dinner time, you know how to hold the fort, how to do, you know, cut your food with the knife. And, you know, just man is that's what it was, but it was fun. And the kids be like, who is this?

16:24 Or biting your for right? Right, right, right, right with the family, right? And

16:39 We called that supper and lunch time was dinner. The end when we were growing up, but the evening meal was called supper. Yeah, and the lunchtime meal could be, you know, we just kind of came ye lied and everybody in this early sit down the same time that Grace but you didn't. It wasn't the family gathering that supper though was be family gathering and everybody and we discuss what went on at school, you know, what teacher was trying to you? What teacher was mad at you or what? Did you left a message for your parents or what? Neighbor adult?

17:33 Call Dim Sum. Right? Right, the other got a call from a neighbor about something you've done. So yeah, that was that was a supper time. But back, then we actually called his supper. I guess some people.

18:03 Baby, baby, baby, and, you know, I am, I remember this, you know, there was always some beverage other than water with the with the meal always. And one of the things that I made was like, you don't eat and drink eat and drink. You drink, your beverage ask them is what do you know? I don't know, but, I don't know, maybe Angel digest with Kool-Aid with lemonade lemonade. It was always, you didn't.

18:42 Eat and drink. You ate your food and then you enjoy the beverage after it. I can say, I don't know.

18:50 I did not do and you going to be like yeah, and you're right about that. You don't get up from the table and go to the bathroom and come back to the state.

19:01 That was not allowed. That was not allowed. This was warning. You know, I thought about this a long time. Have you ever experienced a miracle?

19:22 I mean, I know that we have the Miracles of, you know, that we just wake up every morning but a miracle that say that would be

19:34 Say, noted by the church.

19:39 As it was a miracle. Yes. This was a miracle. I don't think so.

19:52 That Miracle not that type of miracle that nobody hit me from behind cuz I don't think that's no different than

20:16 Want.

20:21 Can you describe?

20:27 What you most grateful for in your life?

20:31 What I am most grateful for.

20:36 Is.

20:39 My salvation.

20:42 I think that is.

20:45 What I'm most grateful for, I mean,

20:48 The Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that

20:53 I have accepted him as my personal savior.

20:56 And,

20:59 I'm grateful.

21:01 Definitely. That's that's the biggest thing. I'm grateful for.

21:08 Okay, other than okay. So other than your salvation,

21:17 I'm grateful for retirement for sure. Yes, I'm grateful that.

21:28 Let's see. What else my grateful for.

21:34 I'm grateful that we have a

21:37 A close family, cuz some people. I'm grateful that we have continued to be close. Even after I parents have passed up, because sometimes when the

21:48 Parents are deceased, the children, just but we continue to have that good success together. I'm definitely grateful for that.

22:02 Because as Mama wrote on her, little know that we found a family that stays together is something to be proud of.

22:10 All right, it is and now I have to get my Kleenex.

22:20 Other than for myself, of course, if you know the parents that we had, they were not the perfect parents, but they were the perfect parents for us. You know, my mother.

22:40 Our daddy was the one that, you know.

22:44 Condition does and got us ready to go out and face the world and it was a mean world still isn't mean world.

22:59 Yeah, and I say this all the time it was like Daddy got you up every morning. He was a strong cup of black coffee and get ready. Get at it when spaced it and mama was the one that said. Yes, you do have to face it. But here's a little sugar and cream to make it a little more palatable.

23:18 So, the two of them for dinner.

23:27 Valia, Valia system that led to all the things that you say, you know, we're all college-educated. We all had careers and we still even in their death. We still have that strong sense of family, not just with us, but with their grandchildren and with their grandchildren. Now, we still have this as a family and I think that if it were not for the two of them.

24:00 Working together and working together in our lives, then, you know, we would not have this.

24:09 We wouldn't have this and yeah, I'm just going to Branch off a little bit to talk about, you know, where we are today in society and politically that. Yeah. I'm glad that they're not here. See what's going on in America today.

24:31 Yeah, it would be probably difficult for them. It would be very difficult. It would you like from the from my point of view and African-Americans. Don't have a views things, the table with us, but in my view, you know, we are sitting here.

25:02 With attitudes and actions, especially of state governments. That place us back in the 30s, the 40s and the 50s. And it's important. It's unfortunate and the other unfortunate thing about

25:26 Great grandchildren. Don't see the significant ride of what's happening. Right? They do not see the significance of what's happening and little things are alike, not recognizing the value, and the power of the vote, not recognizing the value, and the power of owning your own, you know, right? So I mean that is

25:54 You know, here we are in Arkansas and now we have stand your ground.

26:00 So, how how do I know if you I'm threatening to you? All right, and we have open carry. So at any time I can go into the grocery store. Are these big box stores and

26:17 Anybody can walk be walking around with a holster are, you know, Six Guns? I mean, what is the world coming to? I mean, Arkansas is sad. That's what it is. Is sad.

26:33 But you know, on the flip side of that because of our faith. We have hope and the things that we hope our may not be realized in our generation. It may not even be realized in those great grandchildren's generation, but that my faith is that it will be eventually realized, you know.

27:04 Is there something about me? You always want to know, but never asked?

27:09 Something about you.

27:11 Not really that. I always wanted to do. I would you like to be remembered? I would like to be remembered.

27:31 As the one that was so sweet. Just like my grandmother.

27:37 But that can happen cuz I do get upset and I do raise my voice when I get angry and sometimes I don't say nothing, but I can say that. I do that. I don't do it often and I try not to do it. You know I'm saying, you can't say well.

28:03 But I'd like to be remembered.

28:07 Or like a people to say that I was kind, I treated everybody fairly.

28:15 I think people will say you work at a weight.

28:19 I said what she meant. If you ask her a question, she told you whether you wanted to hear the answer or not.

28:28 She was straight up Bassett and she was a lot of fun. I don't, because I'm just so straightforward, and to the point and SSI. One of the nephew's told me the other day.

28:48 If you would describe me, he would say, the mathematician and the disciplinarian and I thought, well, there you go. What is a planarian I really do. I mean, that was just something that we got when we were children and that's stuck with us. You need to know how to act right for sure.

29:24 The special dish that I like to prepare. I guess it's a pound cake and Easter Christmas Thanksgiving big family, gatherings like that without Grandma's pound cake.

29:47 I like that and it brings back a lot of memories when I do make it and the pecan pies to. I always think of you and you know, Daddy love and I never could make it without it running out of the pan while he was still living with me about it, run out of thing, really secret recipe pound cake. I have never met, you know, I was into the cake with frosting and you know, the German chocolate or Lemon Souffle zar.

30:38 Yo case with puddings with layers and fancy stuff, and I just never not have the recipe, but I have never cooked Mama's secret recipe.

30:59 I mean, when she used to cook it when we were little and if it's stuck to the pan, Deadwood teaser so bad. It'll stick to the plan. And I remember to 3 years ago and I made it and I think it was either. You might look bad, but it tastes just like Ruffles.

31:27 No matter what. It looks like I said, Christie's daughter.

31:41 Jesse's daughter.

31:44 And Alex, two granddaughters to pass only for people, they got to pass it off as far as traditionally. We paid her down to the girls. And now we only have 4 Left 4 remaining that we can pass that recipe on to because, you know, I get calls occasionally and say I want to know if I could give them the recipe. Family Recipe can't get it out. When I do the ribs, just like when Dad to do because we have his secret marriage.

32:39 And that barbecue sauce, right? The secret recipe.

32:51 Do you have any regrets?

32:56 I think the one regret.

33:00 But I do have is that I did not have children.

33:04 I regret this.

33:08 But I have nieces and nephews that are like my children brush and

33:16 You know, what would my kids have been like your mom used to always say? Well, do you know the discipline for it? But they would be disciplined. That's for sure.

33:37 Well, you know, I don't have any children, but I don't, I don't regret that. I mean.

33:49 But I think I look at what I would be worried about right now if I had kids, I don't so no, I don't regret that. I don't regret that and I would have been teaching kids that were growing up and what I envisioned they would be doing right now.

34:09 In this.

34:11 Time in America.

34:19 Because I know they would have been probably like I was as a young person, you know, but no I don't really is that. I

34:36 I wish I had gone a little further in my education.

34:50 In a

34:52 And don't get me wrong. Although I liked every job that I had that I didn't love any of them. So I would, I would have liked to have been in a fight or environment and a thinking, you know, it's not too late.

35:11 You know, I do it. Do it knows things for the betterment of mankind or you know, so all sorts of a research.

35:26 But, you know.

35:40 So that kind of says, it has your life been different than your magic has your life been different? No.

35:49 I always dreamed of, you know, getting a nice job having my own place.

35:58 And I mean not having to struggle. Struggle struggle.

36:07 That's what was important, you know, you go to school and then you can't wait to get your own place. You can't wait to get your own car and then, you know.

36:21 What was the original question?

36:25 Has my life. Did it turn out like right. I thought it would run.

36:33 I think so successful.

36:46 There was one here that I thought that was really significant.

36:52 What trade do you most admire in yourself? And what traits do you most wish you could change?

37:03 Let me ask you that question. Okay?

37:16 Discipline, you know, I admire the fact that I'll get the job done.

37:21 Discipline discipline, but sometimes you can be so in tune with you know that in Gold it just kind of stopped. Forget to stop and smell the roses along the way. And I think sometimes that I didn't have as much fun as I could have had along the way because I was disciplined to do this discipline to do that, you know.

37:47 So yeah, both of them.

37:55 You want to have fun? So this is not on here, but I'm going to ask you this. Oh, my soul.

38:17 Is your spouse?

38:20 The person that you thought you would,

38:24 Married in life and I don't mean him.

38:29 Specifically that unique individual.

38:33 But you know, characteristics personality traits, that type of thing.

38:40 Yeah, when you when you thought about you, yeah, I'm going to get married and

38:46 And my answer is no cuz I didn't. I didn't think I was going to get married. I really didn't.

38:54 Now, that's something about you. I didn't know.

38:59 You know.

39:01 If it happens, it happens, if it doesn't, it doesn't write. I get that. But you just said, you didn't think you were going to get married eventually.

39:15 It wasn't something that was just

39:18 On the radar for me. Oh, really now.

39:25 And is man-made wood. Was the question is it? Well, I said, is he is your spouse? Does he have the characteristics and traits of the person you thought you would marry?

39:38 Yeah, he's on a provider.

39:44 He's hard-working.

39:49 He's kind, and sometimes I can be.

39:52 To Canada. Well, not to can. But what's the word? I'm trying to say too easy, I guess.

40:03 But yeah, I think you he would have the characteristics of someone that I would have married if it had not been him. You know I'm saying.

40:16 You know.

40:18 So yeah, and your answer would be opposites complete.

40:34 Opposites, what do you know what they say? We are complete opposites and let's just say, I never would have thought that I would have married. Someone who was the complete opposite of of me.

40:55 I never would have felt it.

40:57 You know, it's just amazing.

41:01 Well, I guess that's why y'all so good I guess so but just complete. Yeah. Praising our complete opposite you would agree to that right? Complete.

41:19 I mean you just check out the check marks.

41:23 But it works. It works. It works. It works. It works. So did you have anything?

41:35 That you want to ask me Jenny. I think I've been doing most of the asking here. I mean feel for you. Don't feel free. Well, that's okay. That's okay. You know, I'm wondering if I have the original storycorps there to do the recording. Okay. The difference, you know, I think in that original one, we were so sad.

42:17 I think there was a sadness in our voices because of Mama's predicament with Alzheimer's and you're the strain that that was on both of us because we're both working at the time and trying to maintain those careers and make sure that everything was going well with Mama at home and doctors visits there. I think there's some of the strain of that showed in that recording. And now we can talk about her and Dad it went without sorrow because we know they had good lives and everything that they provided to

43:03 Just hope that someday when somebody hears this, hopefully those grandchildren are those great and realize some of the things that we've been trying to impart to them that the stock of people that we came from and hopefully it will help them in their life and no right to know that sometimes you have to change your goals or sometimes I go right now. Sometimes it Go may take longer than what layout

43:52 I'm about talked out here. Well, you are the talk or, you know, I'm not a talker really. That's what you say is in the tape, okay.

44:07 Well, give you the time-space mule talk to, you know.

44:13 Yeah, I do want to say this and I thought about this something. I remember about you. You were not the youngest in the family, but you were the baby of the family for the longest in the way that people treated you and do you know why it's still the truth now, but do you know why? That is a

44:39 I don't know. It was a a gentleness to everybody but there was something about Jeannie and I think I know what it was.

44:53 You know, you really baby. They had to put in the hospital because she would need.

44:59 I mean, I didn't remember you wouldn't eat.

45:05 Yeah, you would only drink milk, you wouldn't eat and so I think there was so concerned about you that you wouldn't eat food and that once you did start eating food, it was like

45:26 A little do, you know? I don't know how long I really can't remember how long it was before they decided that they needed to put you in the hospital. I don't know. But yeah, you had to go to the hospital to start eating food. And I think that was why they were nervous, man.

45:57 So you think will be around a long enough to do another storycorps recording. How do we do this? 8, probably about 12, I think 11312, or 13.

46:14 I think it was well, let's hope so.

46:22 We continue to try to do what we need to do to be around here and alkalis.

46:30 Will be here as long as.

46:33 All right, what you say?

46:37 Two Amigos.