Made a quick trip over lunch last week to visit Grandpa. Had some stuff from Mom to drop off — some old tractor-feed computer paper (my Grandpa makes notepads) and some homemade Christmas ornaments (for the nice Christmas tree that my aunt bought for him — which he didn’t really want).
I wasn’t planning on staying but he seemed interested in fixing me lunch. I obliged.
He started off explaining me the difference between hobos and tramps. Hobos were the good ones. They work for food and contribute it to the community pot of food over the fire at the tent. The tramps, well, they steal and aren’t good neighbors. Hobos are basically good. His story continued with lots of interesting details as he fixed my “hobo stew” lunch.
I was a little uneasy when he set the bowl in front of me. I recognized most of the ingredients. I ate it like a good grandson should. It wasn’t very easy on my stomach or my taste buds. About halfway through my bowl Grandpa said something like “now that you’ve gotten through some of your stew, here’s what’s in it: cream of mushroom soup, shredded roast beef, mixed vegetables, diced French fries and…crumbled up pancakes.” Yes, pancakes. I used my buttered toast and a big glass of milk as a buffer between bites after that.
I was mostly done with my stew by the time Grandpa sat down with his bowl.
Grandpa started off with a mini-rant about Nancy Pelosi. I don’t really remember what the context was or even the point, I just thought to my self, cool, Grandpa’s raking on Nancy Pelosi. Anyway, I digress…
He talked about how his life hasn’t been anything spectacular, but good because of the situations the Lord has put him in various points in his life. Stories of God’s compassion and hidden agendas to help people that really needed it. For my Grandpa, God’s plan is an exciting, daily mission to discover and execute with flexibility — blessing people and finding fulfillment along the way.
Something about what he was saying — about being ordinary and in the middle of God’s plan — resonated with me. I felt a connection. I’ve always viewed myself as pretty ordinary — nothing spectacular or amazingly skilled. I do find fulfillment in making things easier for people, which is a trait (I now see) that Grandpa has been exhibiting his whole life.
I’ve heard a lot of stories from Grandpa in my lifetime. Some of them I dismissed in my head with a “yeah, right, Grandpa.” All kinds of stories set during World War II in France, the chaos surrounding the flood of 1951 in Argentine, KS, and chance encounters with various people of intrigue, etc. I think the stories last week are my new favorites.
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That is awesome it makes me miss my grandma. She lived with us for several years and while I loved her stories I wish now I had listened a little more.
The quote that is beginning to define my life:
“I long to accomplish great and noble tasks, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. The world is moved along, not only be the mighty shoves of it’s heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker.” –Helen Keller