Parentage

Parentage: Part 1

by Tina

[grandma and grandpa]

My grandpa was a poet like myself. I was quite young when He passed away, but what I do remember is him showing me how to shell peas, his postcard collection, and the little office where he connected with his friends via his two-way radio. He adored his Citizens band radio.

Grandpa D. was a man who loved to keep up on all that was going on, so he was affectionately known by his friends as “Uncle Jim.” I’m thinking that this was probably his CB’r “call sign” as a licence and a “call sign” in the form of a pseudonym were required in the early days of CB. (Citizens band radios became popular in the 1970’s.) He also enjoyed making recordings and write-ups to encourage those with handicaps. He used a lot of poetry, and wise sayings.

I can relate to my grandpa on so many levels. Sometimes I feel much closer to those who aren’t even in the land of the living. At times I feel as though I was born in the wrong era, though I know God doesn’t make mistakes. I suppose this is why I appreciate old things so much. (old books and antique items, older people are pretty great too.) I don’t have a lot of nostalgia around our home, but I do have a few things here and there which I appreciate for their beauty. As the saying goes they don’t make ’em like they used to.

Some things from the past are worth holding onto. I have the jewelry box that my great-grandpa made for my grandma. I like to store precious mementos in it: gifts, letters and cards from friends. See, I’m very much like my grandpa.

I was really teary yesterday, I was thinking of doing another “fight song” post, but I didn’t feel like being fighty. I guess sometimes it’s okay to just feel what your feeling, so I thought I’d think on something peaceful. My grandparents came to mind.

I absolutely love this photo. Everyone always looked so great in old photos. Well, victorian era photos can be a bit creepy in a ghostly kind of way. The lack of smiling doesn’t help. They were such a handsome couple don’t you think?

My grandma was a very cheerful sort. She was always laughing about something. I guess I’m like my grandma in that sense. It doesn’t take much to get a laugh out of me. Oh, and I’ve got her feistiness. When I make up my mind about something I don’t back down. I was her only granddaughter, so that made her one of my biggest fans.

I grew up with 3 brothers and 4 male cousins. I was accustomed to tagging along with the boys, though sometimes they’d try to exclude me from things because I was a girl. When one of my brother’s would give me a hard time I guess I would give it back. I remember my grandma laughing and saying that she loved my dry sense of humor. Is my sense of humor dry? When you’re the only girl, contending with three brothers and four wild cousins, you have to have a sober sense of humor.

My mom is the baby in this picture. She has an older sister (the little blond girl) and a brother.

My grandpa is the one standing on the far left of this photo.

His poetry is the good stuff. It gets me teary. He loved God, his family and his friends, and he was a thinker like myself. (Yep, I’m getting teary again.)

I think that’s it for now. I’m sure there’s much more that I could share, but you absolutely must read some of my grandpa’s poetry. It’s so worth it.

To My Good Friend, Dave

by my grandpa James D.

My destiny it is tonight

To sit with pensive brow

Beside my study fire

This verse I’m penning now

For each was preordained by fate

Since human life began

So are the little and the great

Linked in the life of man.

Each day I live to thank the Lord

I do the things I love

And in it find a rich reward

All price and praise above

For few may do the work they love

The fond unique employed

That fits them as a hand, a glove

And really gives them joy.

I’m just a mediocre man

Of no high-brow pretence

A comfortable life I plan

I do the things most people do

I echo what they do

And through the morning paper view

The problems of the day

I’m part of people I have known

And they are part of me

The seeds of thought that I have sown

In others minds I see

There’s some of me in all of them

And in all, there’s something of He.

Ramblings, By “Uncle Jim”

My Two Way Radio

by my grandpa James D. 

How nice to have a radio, on a cold and blustery night

The magic of it’s static fills my heart with sweet delight

For While T.V. is O.K. and playing cards is fine

I’d sooner spend an evening on this old two way of mine.

I think of nights so long ago when I’d stay up real late

I didn’t have a radio so I heard no one go ten-eight

But things are very different now I really have a ball

Listening to my two way and waiting for a wall.

I know exactly who is home and who is out and why

The kind of rig he’s using and the kind he wouldn’t buy

I know when he is mobile, be it Jim, or Jack, or Joe

I’m up on all the going on, with my two way radio.

I know when there is trouble and I know when there is none

I wouldn’t part with this radio and miss out on all the fun.

So, when this world I leave behind and I am gone to heaven

Please bury me with my old two way, so to my friends, I can say

TEN SEVEN.

I get my grandpa. He was no mediocre man as he put it. He was definitely a high quality human. Yep, I’m crying again. Everytime…

(Title photo credit goes to Pixabay.com user Free-Photos)

27 thoughts on “Parentage: Part 1”

  2. Yes, you definitely do get your poetic gift from your Grandad! It’s lovely that you have got to keep them. Do you have more?
    My dad used to love his CB radio too! As far as I can remember, his handle was ‘GlencoeKid’ because we lived near Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands for a while.
    They are indeed a beautiful couple. I love looking at these nostalgic photos from this era. Thanks for sharing, Tina. 🙂

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    1. Yes, I do have more poetry by my grandpa. More old photographs too. My aunt said that she has some more things for me, (a book of poetry that my grandma wrote) but if I really want those things (which I do!) I’m going to have to remind her because it was a few years back that she promised them to me. I’ll have more to share. I have some pics of my great and great-great grandparents too. (Not the originals) but I think it’s so wonderful to have any image of them.

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      1. Wow, that’s so great to have photos of your family from way back. Even if it’s not the originals, it’s good just to see them and feel close to them. Amazing! I look forward to reading more of your Grandpa’s poetry and seeing more photos. 🙂

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      2. Oh, good! I love to share it. I sent my aunt an email! I’m anxious to hear back from her. I really want whatever she will share with me, including the poems my grandma wrote. I didn’t know that she wrote poetry as well. I can’t recall her ever saying anything. So, it would be really interesting and special to have that.

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  3. Love this so much! ❤️ I’m currently going through my great-grandfather’s diary and working on turning it into story form. It’s going to take a very long time but I’m enjoying the process.

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  4. Loved your post, Tina. I can relate to your love of things old. I have always loved antiques, especially if they have some family memory. They don’t have to be expensive, just old. As a child, I preferred spending my time with older people than with kids my age. My mom was 33 when I was born and my dad was 40, so their friends were all their age and older. I also love poetry and have written some myself. Your Grandpa’s poetry reminds me of Edgar Guest’s poems–homey and down-to-earth. My father had a ham radio receiver but never got a license to send. He spent hours with that.

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    1. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I really enjoyed that. My husband’s parents were a similar age bracket when he was born. He says he’s always felt older than he truly is and similarily feels comfortable around older people. Yes, homey and down to earth. That describes my grandpa perfectly. Ham radio is basically the antique of the internet. My dad said that my grandpa would have had a blog. That’s yet another way I am my grandpa’s granddaughter. ❤

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  6. Pingback: Parentage: Part 1 – The Distinguished Mennonite

  10. Beautiful. He definitely had a lot of talent-just like his granddaughter. I share that sense of feeling like I was born in the wrong time, by the way. It’s nice when I discover someone else who is like-minded. 😊

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