We were talking about our relatives with a few friends and reminded ourselves of our summer vacation tours with Uncle Dick—aka Unc. Karen and I were just out of college, before children, and we would go on an annual adventure with my Dad’s only brother, Dick. Everyone in Pocatello, Idaho knew Dick and actually most called him Unc. Although he never married he had an active social life, prosperous accounting business, loved to dance, and he possessed a bawdy sense of humor. Unc loved to tell funny and off color stories, he kept the punch lines written on scraps of paper hidden in the recesses of his wallet. The rest of the joke he tried to commit to memory, so the jokes were ever changing. The one consistent thing was that he laughed heartily at every version. We all know people with an infectious laugh and regardless of how well the story was told, you could not help but smile. Our conversation focused on the road trip itinerary. There was not a side road that we did not explore which was generally entertaining except on the long drives back to Idaho. Unc had to leave the highway to see onions growing in the Fruitland area, we were in search of Walla Walla sweets and I think we finally found something close before the good humor left the car. It was great to recall our friend Unc. I can still tell you the shaggy dog tales about Roy Rogers, Drained Italians, Moshe Dayan, Honda’s, and Milt Famey. You will have to check back with me on more details. The punch line of the Rogers story involved a mountain lion attacking Roy, knocking him off his horse, only to chew on well polished new boots. When Dale Evans sees the majestic creature on the horizon she asks, “Pardon me, Roy, is that the cat who chewed your new shoes?” If you say this to the tune of Chattanooga Cho-Cho, it will be funnier.
Coincidentally, today I got a letter from Idaho State University Foundation. Unc was a generous soul and he supported the Idaho Youth Ranch and his church, most of the local community events with ISU holding a special place in his heart. When he passed away he left funding for a perpetual set of scholarships for deserving students. “The financial support of a scholarship is often the tipping point that allows students to pursue a college education.” I read the 12 letters with great interest, “I come from a family that is very poor and cannot afford to send me to college….I will major in biology and plan to be a cardiovascular or neurosurgeon and will return to my community to improve conditions and save lives.” Nursing, a high school Government teacher, law school, music education, pharmacist, audiologist, occupational therapist, dental hygiene and a welder fitter were mentioned as careers being pursued. I will conclude with this short paragraph written by a grateful Freshman. “There are so many things that are hard in this world. Life is hard in general, and just a simple “Thank You!” could brighten someone’s day. I hope that this letter will give you the lift you needed for today. The gratitude I have in my heart for letting me have this opportunity is humongous, I hope you can feel that.” I am living vicariously for Unc and it made my day. It would have put a smile on his face.
I hope to leave a lasting legacy and memory just like Unc.
Enjoy each day. Mike