Life Lessons from Grandfathers

A friend loaned me the book, "The Art of Brewing Beer", which I dutifully began reading Friday afternoon while waiting for my pick-up truck to be repaired. Years ago I used a Mr. Beer kit to make a few varieties of beer. It was fun, but not quite the same as using "real" brewing methods. Also, my wife began training for Ironman races, and my time to make beer became biking and swimming time.

But I digress. When reading the book I remembered stories my father told me about his father having a still and making moonshine in the basement of their home (last of 1930's-early 1940's). Dad and his brother would have to come home from school and help with the brewing. My Grandpa even sold bottles to the local sheriff, so there was no chance of him getting in trouble.

So, why couldn't my Grandpa McCullough have taught me that skill? I didn't know about his moonshine business until he had been dead for 20+ years. It just doesn't seem fair that this knowledge wasn't passed down to me. Now all I can do is drink store bought Bourbon or Southern Comfort after a workout.

I realized at that point both of my grandfathers had skills that I could have found useful to learn. My Grandpa Herman was an excellent swimmer. He would leave me in his boat anchored off the shore of Canandaigua Lake at 7-12 years old and dive in for a swim. I thought this was pretty cool as a kid, but looking back I realize he never took me in to swim. That would have come in handy years later when my wife began making me do triathlons.

Grandpa Herman also played football as a youth and adult. He even played center on a semi-pro team in Rochester (1930's?). I was consumed with football from elementary school-college. I was also skinny as a rail no matter what I ate or weights I lifted. Grandpa came to a couple of my high school games and afterwords told me I played well. I don't know if this was true but felt good coming from him. But why didn't he teach me more when I visited his home? Why didn't I ask him to?
Dumb ass (me).

Grandpa McCullough was good at mechanics. He spent the last twenty years or so of his working life as a tool and die maker. He owned his own small tool and die shop next to his house. As a kid I had absolutely no idea what this meant. I didn't know a wrench from needle-nose pliers. My father had little interest in mechanics and must have shared that gene with me. As a homeowner, bike rider and auto owner I could have used, and still could use, some mechanical skills. I have none. Grandpa should have taken a summer and used me as cheap labor. At the very least maybe I could do more than put air in my bicycle tires. Another opportunity lost for me.

Grandpa M was a farmer. He lived and worked on many farms. I have photographs of him with his huge horses plowing the fields. I remember him taking me around the small farm field by his house later in his life, but again, I was a stupid kid who just wanted to play sports, read and daydream.

Grandpa M of course had many farm animals throughout his life. I don't dislike animals, well, some I do, especially when they are chasing me when I'm running or biking, or fish who swim near me when I'm in a lake, those huge sunfish can be really scary. But why, why didn't I learn anything about farm animals? I could have my own chickens or sheep right now and get free eggs and cheese, homemade feta cheese. Mmmmm. Jan could be sewing clothes with our own sheep wool.

Every home owner can use building and masonry skills. That shop Grandpa M owned? Yes, my Uncles Bud and Tom and Grandpa built it. They fixed their own cars. Uncle Bud made a living as a mason and pool builder. Me, I sit at a desk. Maybe I should have worked summers building and cleaning pools with my Uncle and working on cars with Grandpa.

So, if you get the chance to pick up a few pointers on life from your "old" relatives, do it! Who knows where it will lead you or help it may provide in the future.