No Permanent Address
Wednesday, July 12
Grandpa Oscar's Rules
Grandpa Oscar had rules; a code of conduct by which he lived his life. Most of his rules were unspoken, unwritten and untold unless asked. But if you watched Grandpa Oscar, you could learn his rules right quick, and he never had to say a word. ‘Always give of your best.’ ‘Don’t complain about others.’ ‘Care and pray for the needy.’
My favorite Grandpa Oscar's Rules were taught on Thursdays as I was growing up. Thursdays were Grandparent’s Day at our house; Grandpa and Grandma would visit and help mom with chores and dad with repairs and otherwise, run general errands. I spent every moment of every Thursday I could with Grandpa Oscar.
My favorite times with Grandpa were on our trips into the country to get birdseed. Grandpa fed critters and birds in his yard, and I doubt he ever paid for seed or feed as long as he could get it for free at the country grain elevator. Before Grandpa and I would leave, Grandma always cautioned, ‘Now, you be careful of those hobos down on the tracks.’ As a kid, I had no idea what she was talking about.
When we arrived at the grain elevator, Grandpa would always have me get the tools out of the trunk; steel pails, a shovel and brooms. Then, he’d grab a brown paper sack from the front seat, tell me to wait at the car, and disappear behind the elevator. Moments later, he’d return to tell me the boss said we could sweep up seed. Off to work we’d go, filling every pail to overflowing.
It was years later that I learned what was in that brown paper sack Grandpa Oscar carried behind the grain elevator; a six-pack of Falstaff beer. And it was years after that that I learned what Grandpa Oscar did with that beer; he took it to the hobos down on the tracks, visited a few moments, and then continued the day as if nothing special ever happened.
I imagine something special happened for those hobos on the tracks when Grandpa Oscar stopped by with his beer and a prayer. He never told me about the visits or how the hobos lived or whether he saw them on other days of the week; that remained unspoken.
But I do know that something special happened for me every time I got to spend time with my Grandpa Oscar. And everyday I get to visit with my homeless friends, I learn more about Grandpa Oscar’s rules; that story is spoken here.
¶ 9:00 PM 2 comments
Grandpa Oscar had rules; a code of conduct by which he lived his life. Most of his rules were unspoken, unwritten and untold unless asked. But if you watched Grandpa Oscar, you could learn his rules right quick, and he never had to say a word. ‘Always give of your best.’ ‘Don’t complain about others.’ ‘Care and pray for the needy.’
My favorite Grandpa Oscar's Rules were taught on Thursdays as I was growing up. Thursdays were Grandparent’s Day at our house; Grandpa and Grandma would visit and help mom with chores and dad with repairs and otherwise, run general errands. I spent every moment of every Thursday I could with Grandpa Oscar.
My favorite times with Grandpa were on our trips into the country to get birdseed. Grandpa fed critters and birds in his yard, and I doubt he ever paid for seed or feed as long as he could get it for free at the country grain elevator. Before Grandpa and I would leave, Grandma always cautioned, ‘Now, you be careful of those hobos down on the tracks.’ As a kid, I had no idea what she was talking about.
When we arrived at the grain elevator, Grandpa would always have me get the tools out of the trunk; steel pails, a shovel and brooms. Then, he’d grab a brown paper sack from the front seat, tell me to wait at the car, and disappear behind the elevator. Moments later, he’d return to tell me the boss said we could sweep up seed. Off to work we’d go, filling every pail to overflowing.
It was years later that I learned what was in that brown paper sack Grandpa Oscar carried behind the grain elevator; a six-pack of Falstaff beer. And it was years after that that I learned what Grandpa Oscar did with that beer; he took it to the hobos down on the tracks, visited a few moments, and then continued the day as if nothing special ever happened.
I imagine something special happened for those hobos on the tracks when Grandpa Oscar stopped by with his beer and a prayer. He never told me about the visits or how the hobos lived or whether he saw them on other days of the week; that remained unspoken.
But I do know that something special happened for me every time I got to spend time with my Grandpa Oscar. And everyday I get to visit with my homeless friends, I learn more about Grandpa Oscar’s rules; that story is spoken here.
¶ 9:00 PM 2 comments
