Grandfathers

For 13 years of my life I had 2 grandfathers, and for 4 years now I have had none. While my 13 and 15 year old tears were genuine tears, and the picture of their bodies in a casket is altogether a reality that will never leave me, I have never quite experienced thier death's reality as I do now; 19 years old, and discomfited at the thought of so many things I now grasp an appreciation for, that then i neglected to take hold of; opportunities that will never again be put before me; stories i never heard, fishing trips i never took, and wisdom i never took full advantage to draw upon. I've come to terms with the fact that neither time nor grandfathers will ever be given back to me, so here's to what I swear never again to take for granted, and here's to what I miss most:

Grandpa Marv: A hot-dog and waffle for breakfast every morning; The word shit when you were angry, and the bad ass status i awarded you when you said it; Your always dirty, rugged, and beat up hands; Your 2 pairs of cover-alls, bearing the stains of a days hard work; Blue recliners, with a beer in one hand, and popcorn in the other; Renewed frustration at the Florida Marlins and intolerance for anything loud; consistent one dollar bills for the passing Polar Cup; Super-fly belt buckles, and Members Only jackets.

Grandpa Kaiser: The new life that you gave to dirty, broken, thrown away ball-point pens and plastic bags; Frugality and the refusal to throw anything away that could be fixed; Your lack of a right thumb, and the story of losing it in farm machinery, at 10 years old; Your rockin1977 black Lincoln Continental, so adamantly turned off at red lights to save gas; The auctioneer call and songs that involved yodeling; B-Love and fishing off the Lake Worth pier; The smell of squid in our back freezer; Mesh trucker hats; Honey in your coffee, and Denny's.

Shoot dang