It’s an email world, I tell you. I just learned via email that my ex-step grandfather passed away on Thanksgiving Day. That’s really sad. Not the email part, the passing away part. Although, some may think that the email part is also sad. But that’s not important. The important thing is that he’s gone and he will be missed greatly.
I haven’t kept in touch with him. As I said, he was my ex-step grandfather. But I still loved the guy and considered him to be my grandfather. I should have been a better grandson. Well, that’s how these things go. I’m certain that he harbors no resentment towards me. Even if there is an afterlife (I’m an atheist) I’m sure that PapPap has better things to do than be mad at me for never writing.
I thought about him often. I’ll never forget him. He was a good man. He had to be, he had like a thousand kids! Okay, not a thousand, but 11. I think it’s eleven. I’m not exactly sure. Like I said, I don’t keep in touch very well. Those of you who I actually write to should feel very good about yourselves. Well, that is if you tie your self esteem into whether or not you get an email from me. I hope you don’t. That would be really sad. And a lot of pressure for me.
Okay, back to reality. No one judges their self worth based on my correspondence. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t be a little better about keeping in touch. My actual blood grandparents can tell you that.
I’m really a bad grandson.
Don’t worry, my blood grandparents will be getting a Christmas album this year. And so will my ex-step grandmother. Christmas albums for everyone!
Does that fix everything? Probably not. But, as you can tell, it couldn’t make things any worse.
So, back to my PapPap (that title is a Pittsburgh thing). He was a firefighter. He had a lot of firefighting buddies. We used to go to the fireman’s picnic every summer. It was a good time. They always held it at some rustic Pennsylvania amusement park. We also used to go to his house in Pittsburgh every summer. On Allegheny Street. I’d watch HBO (one of the only times I could) and eat chipped ham sandwiches on rolls.
Other than that, I really never knew much about him. I think that most kids don’t really know their grandparents. But he was nice and he treated me like any one of his other grandchildren and he was loved.
Okay…I know that I’m in no position to gripe, but come on PapPap, did you really have to pass away on Thanksgiving?! I already lost my wonderful uncle Douglas on Christmas! I just have a favor to ask of the rest of my loved ones, if you have to pass away, could you do it on a non-holiday? I’ll try to do the same. The summer is pretty much empty. Aim for then, if you have to go. But please, not on August 4th. Let’s all make a pact and keep it.
Okay, to recap, I’m a bad grandson, no one is allowed to die on holidays or August 4th, shout out to Bill and Bette Cox, my uncle Douglas was really great and I’ll miss my PapPap.
Goodbye Hap O’Brien.
Fun Fact: On a lighter note, the new TAM Cartoon is up! Yeah, yeehaw! No more thoughts of death. Just think of kitties and puppies. Wonderful, wonderful kitties and puppies. Tasty kitties and puppies…
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