I had the opportunity to spend part of my day with my granddaughter. She only had half a day of school today and I picked her up around 1:00PM. When she jumped in the back seat, I asked her what she wanted to do. "Whatever Grandpa!" I said I wanted to stop at Lowes to look at a saw and she said "OK". She doesn't know it, but that made my day. As we walked down the aisle at Lowes, I wondered if she would remember this day many years from now.
I never met my grandfather on my dad's side but I did spend a good bit of time with my grandfather on my mother's side. His name was Andy Husovsky and he had come to America from Slovakia. He was an interesting guy. He spent his working years at the Tin Plate Factory in Summit Park. I always remember that he never liked to have his picture taken and my most memorable picture was when we caught him with my Exponent-Telegram paper bag on his shoulder. His face looked shocked that he had been caught in a picture.
From my earliest years he seemed old. He didn't have a car and I can never remember him going on a trip. He watched his money and he rationed toilet paper for his wasteful grandchildren. We went to his house each day to have lunch since his house was just a little way from our grade school. Usually tomato soup with saltine crackers. He would write down license numbers of the trucks that visited the brewery across the street from his house. It was in pencil and there was hardly a piece of paper in the house that didn't have dozens of license numbers written on it. I never asked him why he did it.
I don't know what my granddaughter will remember about her grandfather many years from now. She might tell her kids that I liked to look at saws. She might also tell them that that I told corny jokes. I don't know. I would hope that she would remember a beautiful autumn day in September when she made my day. I could have missed this special day and I would not have been able to write on the chalkboard that is my granddaughters memory. I will cherish this day forever!
I've enjoyed reading your blog posts! We are so thankful to have you around for many more extra innings!!
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing is that there is no way to know what the memories will be. Just like grandpa, they will be the wierd, little things that were just part of any given day. So, the trip to Lowes is just the kind of memory she will take with her... what you are thinking of making with the saw, how you made the choice. I remember some of the same unique, but everyday, things about Grandpa. Writing those numbers on the papers, tomatoe soup for lunch, his infamous toilet paper rationing. Big memories in the smallest of moments.
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