Uncle Joe
My Uncle Joe went in for heart surgery yesterday, a septuple bypass!...He's the last living uncle I have, and the last bastion of an era... I'm sure Uncle Joe will be fine..he's one of those 'tough guys' you may have known...cocky and with a swagger...but deep down, very caring and generous.
When I was little, I would stay over at Aunt Carmen and Uncle Joe's during summer months, with my cousins, little Joe and Joanne, it was almost like a second family...Uncle Joe ruled the roost...and aunt Carmen wasn't far behind...He and my dad were brothers-in-law, and they were fast friends from the beginning, back in the 50's...it was HE who went with my dad to get hamburgers the morning I was born. I'm almost confused about what to write here.... obviously I hope and pray for his recovery...but I must admit, I was always intimidated and a little afraid of him when I was a kid...he was a stern disciplinarian...as some parents were, my dad included...
He has always been a hard worker, and again, back in the 60's when the G.I. Joe toys came out, me and my cousin, little Joe had a blast...playing war with those things...
"Hi Girls! playing with dolls again?" Uncle Joe would say....
The toughest part came around 1980, when I had kinda long hair and he couldn't help but comment, "hello hippie!" when I arrived, much to the consteration of myself and others.
But here is the dichotomy, after I graduated from college, he went out of his way to get me a job...he took me on a personal tour of FMC in San Jose, where he was a plant manager... and he spoke to me on personal terms, which he never had before. Uncle Joe is what you would call a 'conservative'....a staunch Republican...and...sometimes quite frankly an ol' redneck...but right now, all I know is that he's in bed. recovering....
Here's the cool thing about uncle Joe....he has an intelligence, or a self-awareness at least, to the point where he recognizes his current situation and will have the mind-set to heal quickly....he's that tough...
When I was little, I would stay over at Aunt Carmen and Uncle Joe's during summer months, with my cousins, little Joe and Joanne, it was almost like a second family...Uncle Joe ruled the roost...and aunt Carmen wasn't far behind...He and my dad were brothers-in-law, and they were fast friends from the beginning, back in the 50's...it was HE who went with my dad to get hamburgers the morning I was born. I'm almost confused about what to write here.... obviously I hope and pray for his recovery...but I must admit, I was always intimidated and a little afraid of him when I was a kid...he was a stern disciplinarian...as some parents were, my dad included...
He has always been a hard worker, and again, back in the 60's when the G.I. Joe toys came out, me and my cousin, little Joe had a blast...playing war with those things...
"Hi Girls! playing with dolls again?" Uncle Joe would say....
The toughest part came around 1980, when I had kinda long hair and he couldn't help but comment, "hello hippie!" when I arrived, much to the consteration of myself and others.
But here is the dichotomy, after I graduated from college, he went out of his way to get me a job...he took me on a personal tour of FMC in San Jose, where he was a plant manager... and he spoke to me on personal terms, which he never had before. Uncle Joe is what you would call a 'conservative'....a staunch Republican...and...sometimes quite frankly an ol' redneck...but right now, all I know is that he's in bed. recovering....
Here's the cool thing about uncle Joe....he has an intelligence, or a self-awareness at least, to the point where he recognizes his current situation and will have the mind-set to heal quickly....he's that tough...
posted by Olias at 2:44 PM
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