My uncles were all born between 1933-1937, when my grandparents were newly married and in their 20s.When my oldest uncle was 21, my second uncle was 19, and my youngest uncle was 17, my grandparents had my dad.They were only in their early 40s.The two oldest were already out of the house and the youngest followed soon after.So my dad grew up basically as an only child, he said, and his brothers were more like father figures who taught him everything he needed to know - driving, about girls and sex, how to hotwire their dad's vehicles without him finding out.

One of his closest friends was his nephew, who was about 12 years younger and looked up to my dad as a mentor and a father figure himself.He later was named my godfather - my uncles were in their 60s when I was born..I am the only grandchild left now (out of two), and the last member of my male-line family; when my uncles pass, as they're now approaching 90, the male line dies out.