“Corky:” A Telling Holiday Tradition

It takes minimal equipment: a table, a glass, and a champagne cork. This game began by accident a few years ago and has become a family tradition. It’s a simple thing that says a lot about our family culture. We usually ignore the living room and gather in the kitchen with good food, drink, and the occasional activity. We’re all fiercely competitive, and my daughter prefers literal diminutive names. (Her pets were “fishy,” and “tabby;” our game is “Corky.”) In researching a biography or corporate history that is also a family story, this is exactly the kind of telling tradition I look for. If anyone ever writes about my family, they’d better mention Corky.