The Ride to Punxsutawney
Judy is in Gettysburg this week taking care of the grandkids so while she is gone, I got inspired to tackle a thankless task--going through old files, throwing stuff away. I came across my notes from my seminary Greek New Testament class, which I haven't used in 39 years--out they go. I also found some treasures. Here is a type-written (anybody remember typewriters?) remembrance from about 1974 which I suppose I thought I might publish somewhere someday, but never did. I was in my first appointment, about 20 miles from my home town:
I spent a couple hours with my Grandfather today. I guess that doesn't sound very important, but frankly, I don't ever remember doing anything alone with Gramps in all these years. When I was growing up there were always aunts and uncles and cousins and of course a twin brother around. But today it was just the two of us. He had to go to the hospital in Punxsutawney for x-rays in order to get his "black lung" benefits. All those years of working in the coal mines have left there mark. So I offered to drive him. A couple hours in the car...and we just talked.
We talked about family mostly. He is so proud of my baby son Chris--"Cute little fella", he says. But the fact is he is proud of all of us. We talked about Uncle Jim, the Harnish brother who didn't come back from the war, and Uncle Ed who also died too young. We talked about all the other grandchildren and where we all are now, scattered from Florida to Wyoming. We talked about the dandelions in his garden and about my three churches. I don't even remember what all we said. It was just nice to ride together and talk together, just the two of us.
Gramps is just an ordinary retired Western Pennsylvania coal miner. Not famous, not wealthy, just a good simple man who lived through joys and sorrows, hard times and hard work, the death of his wife and three of his sons, still strong-willed but gentle and warm, still smiling with deep wrinkles in his cheeks, which I suppose I will inherit someday.
We're moving to Michigan next month, so we probably won't have many opportunities to be together just the two of us. Someday I will get word that he is dying and I will rush back to Pennsylvania to try to see him one last time. Then we will bury him beside his infant son John and airman son James and the Grandmother I never knew. But God, I hope I never get so old as to forget this simple, quiet man and the day we rode to Punxsutawney together. And I can only hope that some day when I have a grandson he will feel the same about me.
Now I'm the Grandfather and today I'll join Judy in Gettysburg to take Ethan to his kindergarten open house before he starts school. I'm "where I'd rather be on Monday Morning" and I hope Ethan will remember.
Blessing of the backpack to all our kids going back to school. On September 11 we move to our new full Sunday schedule:
Worship:
8:15, 9:30 and 11:00: Traditional worship in the sanctuary
11:00: "Shine", contemporary worship in the CLC
Christian Education:
9:30: Full Sunday School for children, "Youth Cafe" for 6th-12th graders
11:00: "Soar", a new alternative program for children
9:30 & 11:00: New adult classes on various topics
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