Too Close to the Tree (Humorous)
Too Close to the Tree.
My dad is not yet 70 and I'm not yet 50 but we're both respectively getting very close. I don't know if you're like me but I find it easier to grasp how the aging process is affecting my friends and family than it is me. I've often made the statement that all my friends seem to be getting older and yet I remain the same. That's either denial, ignorance or just wishful thinking on my part I guess. This is a brief story of how I recently found myself sliding into the "he's getting older" phase of life.
"Hey son, this is dad. How's your day going?" My dad has the ability to always sound as if he's just eaten a bottle of pep pills. It's a trait that has been passed down from former generations on the Glass side of our family. "I'm doing fine," I responded. My parents and I talk nearly everyday and usually for good reason. They're either bewildered once again as to why the printer isn't working with their computer, or they're wondering why their computer isn't working with their printer. Either way I've come to hate Bill Gates.
Our conversation that day was just a "catch up" on what's going on in our lives. I inform Dad of my latest bookings for my public speaking business and dad reciprocates by giving me his calendar information since he does what I do only he does so in churches. In other words, my dad and I get paid for what they used to put us out in the hallway for.
This particular morning our conversation didn't last long. Before hanging up, dad wanted to tell me he'd gotten a phone call from a certain person that was going to book him to do his finance seminar and then we said our goodbyes and hung up.
Near the end of that same day, I got a second phone call from my dad with mom listening in on another phone. They often are both on the line when they call so I usually expect it. Just before hanging up, dad starts to tell me again about this person that had called and wanted to book him for a seminar. Now, before you think my dad is losing his memory, let me enlighten you. He's never had one. My dad has forever been a story repeater, joke repeater, and story repeater and joke repeater. This was just another story I was either going to politely listen to again or jump in and stop.
I decided to respond with a "You already told me this dad." Usually he says "oh" and then we drop it. However, on this occasion he was certain he hadn't. I insisted he had and began to repeat back to him the details of the name, place and circumstances he had shared earlier in the day. Finally he surrendered with "oh, I guess I must have already told you." I could hear mom laughing and we all chuckled as our conversation came to an end.
The next day my daughter, my wife and myself were sitting around our dinner table getting ready to eat. I started to engage my family in conversation by telling them about the phone call I'd had with my dad the day before. I laughed as I was going to great lengths to explain to my family how Grandpa Jack was so insistent that he hadn't repeated his story when in fact he had. While still in the middle of making fun of my dad, my daughter started to laugh and interrupted me with the following line. "Dad, you already told us about your conversation with Grandpa. You told us last night."
True Story!
My dad is not yet 70 and I'm not yet 50 but we're both respectively getting very close. I don't know if you're like me but I find it easier to grasp how the aging process is affecting my friends and family than it is me. I've often made the statement that all my friends seem to be getting older and yet I remain the same. That's either denial, ignorance or just wishful thinking on my part I guess. This is a brief story of how I recently found myself sliding into the "he's getting older" phase of life.
"Hey son, this is dad. How's your day going?" My dad has the ability to always sound as if he's just eaten a bottle of pep pills. It's a trait that has been passed down from former generations on the Glass side of our family. "I'm doing fine," I responded. My parents and I talk nearly everyday and usually for good reason. They're either bewildered once again as to why the printer isn't working with their computer, or they're wondering why their computer isn't working with their printer. Either way I've come to hate Bill Gates.
Our conversation that day was just a "catch up" on what's going on in our lives. I inform Dad of my latest bookings for my public speaking business and dad reciprocates by giving me his calendar information since he does what I do only he does so in churches. In other words, my dad and I get paid for what they used to put us out in the hallway for.
This particular morning our conversation didn't last long. Before hanging up, dad wanted to tell me he'd gotten a phone call from a certain person that was going to book him to do his finance seminar and then we said our goodbyes and hung up.
Near the end of that same day, I got a second phone call from my dad with mom listening in on another phone. They often are both on the line when they call so I usually expect it. Just before hanging up, dad starts to tell me again about this person that had called and wanted to book him for a seminar. Now, before you think my dad is losing his memory, let me enlighten you. He's never had one. My dad has forever been a story repeater, joke repeater, and story repeater and joke repeater. This was just another story I was either going to politely listen to again or jump in and stop.
I decided to respond with a "You already told me this dad." Usually he says "oh" and then we drop it. However, on this occasion he was certain he hadn't. I insisted he had and began to repeat back to him the details of the name, place and circumstances he had shared earlier in the day. Finally he surrendered with "oh, I guess I must have already told you." I could hear mom laughing and we all chuckled as our conversation came to an end.
The next day my daughter, my wife and myself were sitting around our dinner table getting ready to eat. I started to engage my family in conversation by telling them about the phone call I'd had with my dad the day before. I laughed as I was going to great lengths to explain to my family how Grandpa Jack was so insistent that he hadn't repeated his story when in fact he had. While still in the middle of making fun of my dad, my daughter started to laugh and interrupted me with the following line. "Dad, you already told us about your conversation with Grandpa. You told us last night."
True Story!
Moral of the Story
Get caller ID.
posted by The "JL" Zone @ 6:55 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
LOL. I find myself doing the same thing, JL. How's the book coming along?
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