My sister Fran and I in 1979.
For eight years, I was an only child.
Darn that Frank and Dolores. Can’t we get somebody else in this family to take some of the attention off me?
When Francine came along, I was the happiest big brother in the land. Two years later, Dory arrived. That made me even happier.
Mom loved her two little girls. Dad adored his daughters.
Mark baby sat whenever asked.
It was cool. I don’t ever remember complaining about it.
Fran tells me to this day that all of my friends treated them well, even when we were in high school. Nobody ever told them to get lost.
That age difference was kind of odd, though, even looking back.
I was 17 when I left for college. Fran was just 9. Dory was only 7.
The older you get, though, the less that matters.
My sisters have been posting a lot of old pictures of us on Facebook lately. I’ve swiped three for today’s Throwback Thursday.
Fran says the one at top was taken at her Confirmation, at St. James Church in Setauket, N.Y. She says she was in the seventh grade. I figure that means it was in 1979, around the time I graduated from the University of Maryland. That brown plaid jacket and white tie, I do not know how or why.
My sister Dory and I, in 1984.
My sister Dory says the one above was taken of she and I at an anniversary party for our Aunt Marion and Uncle Chet, in 1984.
I like my jacket much, much better.
I was already living in Syracuse by then. I cannot recall if somebody was giving me fashion advice at that particular point.
Dory, Fran and I.
Finally, we have a wonderful shot of the three Bialczak siblings, all scrunched together some years later than the other two pictures.
I’d guess that it’s still the ’80s, a year or so before my daughter Elisabeth was born in 1990.
What made me throw a look like that at the camera is anybody’s guess.
I do appreciate a comment pitched in during this busy Bialczak picture week from my sister-in-law Lynne, weighing in from Arkansas.
“I am beginning to think you were born with a beard,” Lynne says.
Me, too, Lynne. Me, too.
Is there a lot of years between you and your siblings? Do your siblings pull out old photos that surprise you? What’s the story behind the weirdest face you ever made in a picture?
Mark Bialczak 
Great throw backs. My mother had two sons one in 1948 and one in 195. I was born 9 years later and my baby sister was born two years after me. You’re right age doesn’t make a difference when you get older. 🙂
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That’s a pretty big span when you were young, though, Kim! Bless your mom for that. 🙂
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lovely pictures Mark, beautiful post ❤
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Thank you, Leyla. Old-time Mark!
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Really enjoyed this post, and great faces you make. My brother and I are the only two Malone boys, but we grew up with some tight friends, who are practically our siblings. Not too long ago, a couple weekends ago … actually, it was Father’s Day … there is uncertainty as to why, but I looked at my brother and wondered how we made it this far. It wasn’t a negative ponder, but it was more along the lines of amazement and time flying. As it is the same with you, it’s easy to remember siblings as far as back as you go. There was comforting sentiment, and I’m proud he’s my brother. We’ve come a long way, our relationship development.
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The amazing thing is, Chris, just think of how much more enjoyment and amazement you two have to go with each other, living in the same city. Lucky, you are, at this point in your lives, my friend.
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I LOVE LOVE LOVE all these photos AND I love your retro plaid jacket and white tie!!
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Quite the outfit I had, Rachel. I cropped out the line of fans waiting for my autograph. 🙂
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LOL! I believe it! 😀
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oh, i love these pics mark, i’m happy they’ve been pulled out of the vaults and shared) i was pretty close in age to my sisters: oldest sister 4 years older, middle 1 1/2 years older, and then my brother was born 6 years later. i was so happy not to be the baby anymore but then i think i missed the attention a bit once the new concept wore off ) i love your sister’s beard statement, that is so funny – as for an explanation for weird faces in pics, it seems to be a common occurrence in our family and so we just accept it at this point. )
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I like the fact that your family was good for the funny face, Beth. That livens up all picture occasions. Four of you within a decade, your parents did good work at spacing you all out, except for that gap between you and Scott. I would think it was good not to have all the youngest-eyes-on-you attention anymore. Maybe that’s a boy-girl thing!
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Ha! I love the look you have in that last picture, but I especially like you sister to the right’s look! She looks like she doesn’t know what to do with you! 🙂 Very sweet sibling pics. How nice that you were/are their big brother.
There are four of us. I am 6 years older than my younger brother which was a lot then. I practically raised him. I swore I was his mother and took over the feedings, bathings and night routines. My sister and I are two years apart almost to the day. We fought a lot but are incredibly close now. Can’t imagine my life without them!
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It sounds like you guys have the family ties still tight, Mrs. B. That’s cool. My sisters and I Keep it cool in opposite areas of N.Y. State. And yes, the look in that one picture is priceless! 🙂
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Ha! Love you SIL’s comment. My first thought was, ‘Did he always have a beard?’ My question is, did you ever shave it off? Have any pictures of that?
Looks like your sisters adore you, and you, them Mark. 🙂
Diana xo
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I grew my beard shortly after I left home for college, Diana. There have been several days in my life that I have shaved it off and been without it. And then grew it right back. A job interview. My face felt claustrophobic one day. Just a couple of days since I was 17, really.
Yes, got the looks between my sisters and I right, too, my friend. 🙂
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claustrophobic? or vulnerable and nekkid? 😀
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Not until I shaved it, Diana!
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“That brown plain jacket I do not know how or why.” Your take on that is hilarious, I can see you scratching your head trying to make sense of it. You say there’s three but really there are 5 Bialdez siblings thanks to Frank and Dolores. 😉
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You need to post Throwback photos of the West Coast branch, sis!
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We were five kids in seven years. Girl, boy, girl, boy, girl. I was the oldest and the youngest was my sister, Mary. Funny how that huge chasm of seven years is essentially nothing now. Loved your photos, Mark, and what was it about fashion in the seventies? We thought we looked so cool but, woo boy, those fashions didn’t stand the test of time.
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I hope the spinning wheel of fashion never, ever, lands back on that square, Barbara. Woo boy, for the ’70s indeed.
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My brother is 10.5 years older. I cannot remember Mike babysitting. He just isn’t the type. Thankfully I know all embarrassing shots from long ago. The only surprises may be results from his taking pics at family events. He gets frenzied occasionally. The worst/weirdest shot: It was for my business badge. The photographer asked me to smile. Until then I had been relaxed – not really smiling, not unfriendly. She told me to smile and I grimaced. This photo was on my badge for at least six years.
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Beware the frenzied family photographer, Karen. 🙂 And a bad work photo badge can haunt you for way longer than six years. You were lucky, I think.
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Perhaps I should wear a hat (indoors) – at least in case of family reunions. 😀
Regarding the badge. I told everyone who asked about the shot: She ordered me to smile – and she didn’t even warn me!
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Don’t you have suspicions that she was looking for a bad shot on purpose? Just wondering …
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She just didn’t think. And she didn’t bother to do another shot. When I collected my badge a week later I was thunderstruck. I usually turned the badge, most of the times people just saw the boring back of the badge. 😉
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My sister is 4 years older than me – and when we were younger, it represented a huge chasm, that time has since filled. I love your pictures Mark – the fashions of the times (which I remember well), the ease with which you could pose with your siblings and (especially in the last picture) the delight you share with each other. It feels like there’s a lot of love there – and that’s awesome.
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Now it’s like, what age difference? Well, Dory, 10 years younger, may beg to disagree, Mimi. Thanks for seeing what was there between my sisters and I in all those shots. You have a good eye, my friend. I had to cherish those moments. Once I went away to college, that was it. I lived away, they remained on Long Island.
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I love the pictures! And my siblings don’t pull out pictures usually, that’s usually me.
The oddest face…. we were celebrating my husband’s birthday. The waitress was taking a picture. She said “everyone say cheese” but I said HAPPY BIRTHDAY. So while everyone else’s face is broken out in a cheese grin mine is wide open bellering and I look ridiculous. 🙂
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But you had the official happy birthday bellering face, Colleen, so you ruled that shot, I’d say. A cheese grin is so every day in comparison. 🙂
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Thank you Mark, I will use this in my argument when they pull it out again. And they will. 🙂
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Reblogged this on markbialczak and commented:
I published this one yesterday by mistake. Since it was Wednesday and it was a Throwback Thursday angle, I took it down. Well, it’s back up. Or way back on the Reader, I should say, so here’s a reblog to make life easier. I hope. Sorry for any confusion. — MB, the bearded one
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