[Stinky_Hooker]

Reading Willy's post in my bow hunting thread got me to thinking. I don’t know Willy well enough to know his age, but it is sort of given away by his post. His words are rich with wisdom and they reek of good life experiences. I really do wish he lived closer as I would love to sit and talk with him often.





A couple things of noteworthiness as of late.


I have thought more and more lately about my grandfather that passed when I was about 3 or 4. He was my dad's dad and from what I have been told by my father, mom and grandmother he loved fishing and hunting like I do. I also know that for the little time he knew me he worshipped the ground I walked on. I have one faint memory of him, my dad, my mom and I fishing, but that’s it. They say I got my passion for the outdoors from him. Man, what I would give to captain him around in my boat for just one day or be inconvenienced by having to help get him to his deer stand.....


Since my recent grandfather's passing (mom's father) I have been cutting my grandmothers grass for her. I stopped by a couple weeks ago to check on it and it wasn’t ready to be cut yet. My first thought was " great, I had a lot to do today anyways, Ill just hurry and leave before grandma sees me and I have to stay and talk forever...too "busy" for that". ::)

I then realized I had been spotted and went to the door to get the mandatory howdy dos out of the way. I had to hurry though so I could continue on with my "way too busy" and "more important" life. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to go inside and sit for a few minutes, so I did.

She poured me a cup of her SERIOUSLY black coffee that I could hardly drink because old people coffee is the real thing, not like us "young" weenies drink. I sat with her and we talked (mostly her) for almost two hours by the time it was over. She had talked about where she grew up and how for 4-5 years they had hard, cold winters. She explained how the snow was so deep the rabbits couldn’t get through it and they would run and catch them by hand as children.

"Oh we ate good those years" she muttered, while gazing into the air.

When I walked out the door to leave I realized it had been a lot of fun and I really needed to do it more often. I felt guilty for not doing it more up until then......


I didn’t have much of a relationship with my most recently deceased grandfather because of my "busyness". I regret that very much now......



I stopped by and seen my other grandmother for lunch yesterday with about the same result as the above story. Good times...



When I go to the hunting property a couple hours north of here with my friend from Georgia we use his in-law’s place as a camp of sorts. I always enjoy going up to stay with these good country folks and love hearing their stories. They couldn’t be more welcoming every time I come up and just love catering to and feeding their houseguests. Since my meeting them last year I always find myself thinking of the good company and conversation much more than the deer hunting. I think it is mostly Mr. Brown as he sort of reminds me of my longest deceased grandfather.

Everytime after my hunting trips I find myself thinking the same thing on the way home..."They just don’t make people like those anymore"....



In conclusion, I have noticed my thinking patterns as I age changing. First off, as I have advanced each year since about age 19, my parent's IQ levels have slowly risen. Secondly... although I once viewed "old" people as just slow and dangerous behind the wheel those thoughts are more rapidly shifting. I started to realize they were young once too. They went through life just the same as me, although in a much different (and better) time. They learned a lot along the way and it might pay for me to shut up and listen every now and then.


Thanks for stopping by, that is all. *;)