יוֹם כִּפּוּר

Yom Kippur (that's what it says in the title in Hebrew) starts at sunset today, October 4, 2022. It will end at sunset tomorrow, October 5th.

Sixty-five years ago today, on October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik.

Also sixty-five years ago today, my mother died. I was 16 years old. She was 47.

Not only does that seem a long time ago, it is a long time ago.

Today, because I had some kidney stones blasted away about a month ago, I went for an ultrasound of both kidneys and my bladder. As the young blond woman led me into the room, she said, "My name is Kiki and I will be conducting your procedure today. And this is Brittany, a trainee who will be observing."

When she said, "My name is Kiki" my mind went immediately (as I'm sure yours did as well) to the television series Murphy Brown. I asked her if she had ever heard of it.

She said that she had not.

I said that the reason I mentioned it is that there was a blonde TV reporter on that show named Corky, a former Miss America from Louisiana. On one episode her entire family -- father, mother, and three younger sisters -- came from the South to visit. The sisters were all carbon copies of Corky -- young, beautiful, blonde, dripping with Southerness and y'alls. Their names were Kaki, Koki, and Kiki. (Note. I think I have the names correct but I may be off a little bit.)

I also happened to mention to Kiki and Brittany that Corky's last name was Sherwood and that when she married TV writer Will Forrest she became Corky Sherwood Forrest.

"What was the name of that show again?" asked Kiki.

"Murphy Brown," I said. "It starred Candice Bergen. Have you ever heard of her?"

Kiki and Brittany both said "No."

I told them that Candice Bergen's father was a famous ventriloquist named Edgar Bergen, and that his ventriloquist's dummy was named Charlie McCarthy.

"Have you ever heard of him?" I asked, and Kiki and Brittany again said "No."

I shrugged and said, "It was a different world back then."

My question is, is the conversation I had today with Kiki about that other Kiki covered by today's Day of Atonement (that's what Yom Kippur means) or must it wait until next year's Day of Atonement?

Maybe this whole post needs atoning for.

It occurs to me that Kiki and Brittany probably never heard of carbon copies either. I should have said clones.