Yesterday morning I took my grandpa to the doctors for his routine dialysis appointment. On the way there, he asked me to stop by McDonald's to have his usual order before his appointment. His order consisted of a number three and a strawberry milkshake. Yup. A strawberry milkshake at approximately 9:27 a.m. Not an orange juice, sprite, coke, or ginger ale but a strawberry milkshake. Now I wasn't as taken aback as I would have been had not my father prepped me before I left the house. However I was still somewhat surprised, yet all the more perplexed, but found humor in the combination of this order. I began to think about his order and the possible rationale behind his order in the context and observations that I have made about my grand father.
Some would classify my grand father as stubborn and set in his ways. And to an extent I agree. But in widening the scope of my purview, I see that my grandfather has had a mental fortitude about him that has garnered him the right to order his '9:27a.m. milkshake' on a Monday as opposed to my 8a.m. coffee. When I say my grandpa is from the 'old-school', he's really from the old school. Not that pseudo romanced cliche' of a term 'old-school' but the kind that evokes images of long wooden plank barely sanded benches, dusty floors, and a chalk board in dire need of washing. Now I wouldn't say that my grandpa is the most educated or learned man but Wilmon A. Christian, Sr. has pretty much always known what he's wanted, what it takes to accomplish what he wants, and how to put together that which he wants. Wilmon Sr. knew that he didn't just want to have a family but wanted to start a clan so he married my grandmother, had six children, and provided land for each of those children. He also knew that he liked music but buying a radio was far too simple for him rather he opted to teach himself how to make music; strumming away at his guitar when he got the chance.
When I was born, he was going through this phase of building. Building any and everything, whatever he wanted on his land. If in his mind there was a necessity or desire to build something, it got built. Things such as massive tool sheds, garages, and structures that were incomprehensible sprang up all over his land. These seemingly unfinished, odd, and archaic structures were the adventuresome playgrounds of little kids like myself but to him they were the actualization of ingenuity.
Now to some, the way I have described this man he would seem to be a pragmatist. But he was more than that. Yes, pragmatic in the sense that if he had enough space and a need for something to be built then it was. But a mental fortitude in that he outright owned his ideas and creations, endured ridicule for what he created, stood by what he created even if no one else did but himself, and was able to bring to fruition that which he saw in his mind's eye.
As a young man I value this type of ability that my grandpa possessed. My hope is that I will develop the mental fortitude to be bold and to know what it is that I want, the mental tenacity to endure ridicule, criticism, and the process of intellectual development, and the mental dexterity to have an open mind and to be able to think on multiple planes.
Yeh, my grandpa or 'Pa-Pa' as he is called is tough as nails. He used to bathe in bleach after laying cement for construction, has had a tree fall on him, he's a heart attack survivor, a widower, a guitar player, a builder, a father, a grand father, has had numerous other experiences and is many other things. I believe the hardest part for him now is not being able to readily express his thoughts with clarity and be understood. For that old nail of a man, his point may be a little dull but every now and again I catch glimpses of his mental fortitude that speaks to his character.
-WAC, III-
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