That Just Happened!

Well, today is Remembrance Day and we have a lot to remember.  My grandfather fought in WWII (he is alive and kicking and screaming at 94 years old) and my great-grandfather fought in WWI.  My grandfather’s favourite joke is “Yes, yes, it’s true.  I was born Sept 19, 1914…but I wasn’t the reason for the war!”  Ha ha.  He has a really weird sense of humour.  He does not drive anymore (nor would he as he has a girlfriend with a car), but when he did he called his car a “hen-mobile…cause I am too old to be chasing after chicks.”  The gas station attendants always laugh politely.

When I drive, he doesn’t look out the window. He looks at the speedometer.  “How fast you going?” and “Well, how fast is that truck going?” are two common questions I hear.  I learned my lesson after driving him the first time.  Oh sure, I had heard stories from my sister about his passenger-seat driving, but I guess I just didn’t understand.  After leaning over (almost into my lap) and looking at the speedometer he asked “How fast are you going?”  I told him “Well I am going with the flow of traffic and that means I am going 117km/h”.  He harrumphed and I thought I won. Until he said, “Yeah well get over. I would like to arrive alive.”  (He even said it with the emphasis on arrive and alive.)

He hitchhiked all the way up to Northern Ontario when he was younger with another guy looking for work.  Feeling there was nothing more for him and wanting to go home, my grandfather bought the car from the guy (for $100!) and drove back to Toronto, only to find out the car was stolen. 

A while back he was in the hospital briefly for his heart and feeling quite low.  He fretted, he complained, he…well acted like a typical boy.  By the end of the visit though he was a nurse favourite. “Oh, Harry!” was a response we heard often as he complimented the nurse’s vest, or tried to grab her bum.  He’s just cool like that.

He is also cool because he volunteered to serve our country in WWII.  He was fortunate enough to return in one piece, but we don’t ever really hear stories about it.  He’ll mention stuff about the places he went, but not about the actual war.  It was tragic that as a young man he had to experience such atrocities so that we could live here today and not have to.  Today is a day to remember all of the heroes who fought and continue to fight for the rights of their country.  Some of you may know someone who is close to you and fighting halfway across the world right now. Some of us have grandparents or parents who fought in previous wars.  Some of us know victims of war and the struggles they face. 

So today at 11:00am I encourage everyone to take that minute and remember what has been sacrificed for us so that we can continue to live the blessed lives we do.  And I will think of my grandpa who may be a little grumpy, but has earned the right for every harrumph.  Thanks, Grandpa.