Caption: I leapt out of the closet.
And four months later, my father killed himself by stepping in front of a truck.
While I was in college, exploding into my new life, you were sitting here reading a book.
Daddy, you saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa one time, right?
I did.
What's that?
In school we're learning maps and globes and Ms.
Winter said draw a map of all the places people in our family have been to.
They're for showing in class tomorrow.
What's this?
Okay, so this is a keystone because Pennslyvania is the keystone state.
Inside this square, that's Beach Creek, see?
A bridge, fort, creek, school, Fun Home, our house, uh, Aunt Jane and Uncle Randy's house, this is Germany.
Oh!
John, Christian, me, see?
Floating in bubbles because we're not born yet.
That is very interesting.
Now, let me show you how we can make it better.
You have the potential to become a real artist, do you know that?
You do.
But, you have to study the forms; you have to learn the composition.
Now, this is all over the place.
Pick one area.
Um, the keystone state!
No, that's still too much.
Here, watch this.
Okay, watch this.
Here, I'm going to draw our mountains, see?
See that, see how I'm shading them, that gives them dimension.
Make this park look rugged, mmm, Alleghaney Plateau.
And this dark shaded stripe, bum bum bum, is the front.
And paint the long ridges and valleys below, hmhm.
I want the whole state.
I'm trying to explain to you, you can't do that.
Well, lemme try!
Allison, this is how it should look.
But I like the way mine was!
But you can't do that unless you want to ruin it!
I'm trying to teach you something important!
Bruce.
It's a drawing, it doesn't matter.
Doesn't matter?
She's taking into school, she's showing it in class- You know what, nevermind.
You want to take some half-baked mess into school, you want to embarrass yourself, doesn't matter to me.
Do what you want, I don't care.
No, I like the one you did, Daddy!