I am sure everyone had somebody that they admired and aspired to be like. Well, I sure did, and there were several which I have already mentioned but today I want to mention a few more that are not so obvious.
Uncle Bill Heath was a reasonably quiet man, but I sure was motivated by him because he was smart but most of all, he seemed to care about me. He would teach me chess and take me to his office and show me the computers and he talked to me like I was important. Of course, his wife, Aunt Peggy, was wonderful and she just allowed me to have fun when I was at their house. She also made cinnamon rolls for me, my favorite food. We always played games at their house, but Joe and I also got to have peach fights and play in the ditches when there were huge rains, and the ditches were full of water. In fact, Joe and his sisters are the ones I wanted to share about today.
Joe was an incredible athlete, and he threw the ball so hard that I was scared to catch for him. He played football and I just wanted to be good like him. His sister Cathy was so dog-gone smart, and I wanted to be smart like her. Marie was fun and talented (she was in the band) but most of all she was kind to me as I was by far the youngest nephew on our side of the family. She even made me think I was good looking and that was a surprise to me as I was so self-conscience. They seemed to have the perfect life. They had a color TV and a water cooler in the living area (that is what folks had before air conditioners), and they lived in a big city, Ponca, and they went on vacations every year. You might say I was even jealous or envious. Every year I got to spend a week at their house, and it was a delight.
For a kid like me those were important people in my life, and it took me some time to realize that I also had a wonderful life growing up on the farm in Grainola and going to Shidler. I was privileged to have a country life with open skies and loving parents and a brother and sister and no color TV or water cooler and not even a riding lawn mower even though we had the biggest yard you can imagine.
So what do you learn in the Osage?
- I was blessed and I know they made a difference in my life
- The grass is always greener away from where you stand
- Little things and especially kind words can make a big difference in a person's life
- don't underestimate your influence on others
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