John
Caughey, Part Two
Last post, I introduced you to one of my
enduring heroes, my maternal stonemason grandfather John. (My late Dad Erol is
another.)
Gramp John and I used to exchange letters and
postcards, frequently kidding each other about this or that. I think his unquenchable
sense of humor was an ingredient in the secret recipe that kept him on Earth,
thriving and contributing, for one hundred and three years. One of his woodland
paintings he did in his later years depicted a dog chasing a cat chasing a mouse
scooting for cover as a hawk looked on. The title was, “Life. Just one damned thing
after another.”
Somehow,
we got onto the subject of horoscopes, poking fun at each other’s celestial signs.
Claiming he could read my scope as well as any astrologer out there, he sent me
the following week’s worth of astrological advice:
MONDAY:
Avoid get-rich-quick schemes today, icy streets, and close friends.
TUESDAY:
Be glad you’re you. Everybody else certainly is. On that other matter, just
stick to your story and stop worrying.
WEDNESDAY:
You will be followed today. Wear a disguise.
THURSDAY:
You will receive a compliment. It will be a lie.
FRIDAY:
You have your shirt on backwards. Slow down.
SATURDAY:
You will receive a warning by mail today. Pay up.
SUNDAY:
You should, but you won’t.
The ironic part about this reading of my personal stars was its flavor of accuracy.
We also exchanged serious notes. One day after
a freezing rainstorm he took his customary walk through the woods, dressed as
usual, I’m sure, in shirt and tie, vested suit coat and Stetson felt hat. (In old
photos of the Wright Brothers testing their planes, they were similarly dressed;
it’s what people did then.) That day he sent me a postcard that said, “Old as I
am, Mother Nature still has the power to amaze and delight me. Last night she
decorated the trees with billions of ice diamonds.”
The old man himself never lost the power to
amaze and delight this lucky grandson of his. Were it not for him, I wouldn’t even
be here. Were it not for him, I would not carry much of his beneficial philosophy
and example throughout my life. He has influenced my writing and even appeared
as a character. An elderly couple, Hank and Hattie Gaskill, prominent in my
suspense novel series, were drawn largely from Gramp John and his pleasant wife,
Hattie.
He touched thousands of others for the better
over his more than ten decades, and those thousands have in turn touched still others
with some of his enduring work ethic, good humor, and wisdom.
And now he’s touched you a bit, as well.
Author Albert Pine said, “What we do for
ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.”
Phil
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