Born third in a family of five children she demonstrates many of the symptoms of a middle child. As an example, her defensive response to being lost in the “crowd” She spent her school years overachieving by getting straight A’s in her classes, and excelling as an actress starring in numerous plays especially musicals.
But none of it ever seemed to be enough to catch the attention of her always-busy parents, much less earn their applause and appreciation.
When it came time for college there was no money for her to go, even though her two older siblings educations were fully funded.
So Alice moved out of the house and went to work at a minimum wage job supporting herself, just getting by while her older siblings moved on to high-paying professional jobs.
When her two younger siblings came of college age the family fortunes were once again solid enough for them to attend school.
In Alice’s mind there never was a proper acknowledgement of this inequity, or any attempt to make amends for it.
She had a series of tiring, unfulfilling jobs as a waitress in diners and hash houses. During this time she had three unsuccessful marriages in which she always ended up supporting her husbands and raising the resulting three kids pretty much on her own.
The only thing that made he otherwise dull, meaningless life tolerable were her nightly visits to a local piano bar where she was always the most popular “guest vocalist.”
The other patrons kept her supplied with the martinis she used to ease the pain of going home to an empty house, between loser husbands or to the current “loser of the year.”
After she threw the last one out she move to Miami Beach.
That’s when she saw an ad in the Miami Herald for a lounge singer at Bernie’s. When she auditioned, all of the hurt, the heartache and pain came out along with the one thing that made her unique and special.
Her innate sweetness.
Somehow through all her trials and tribulations, Alice never lost it. She never became bitter, resentful or angry. She always retained her Midwest naiveté, softness and vulnerability.
That’s why I go back, that’s why we all go back every night.
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