Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

The Riding Lawnmower

The Riding Lawnmower

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My wife accuses me of being just like my father. That is not true…actually we have little in common except for some little nuggets of similarity. One is being a Scotsman (cheap) and interested in how economics works. Another is mulling over things and getting even. That second trait is evil and I fight hard to resist it and put it out of my mind. Forgiveness is Devine, so saith the Lord

As my readers know I like to write about financial things and all these experts on the media who think they know everything tend to get me worked up. My Dad was a great saver and had the “Cheap” gene big time. Once to avoid the $25 pick up fee he drove twelve miles into town and aback on his riding mower to avoid paying it. Everybody is still talking about that one…. Some things we do define us for the community and that was one of his defining moments.

I bought a new bicycle a few years back for exercise and to pay for it I rode around and picked up aluminum cans. That helped define me as a cheapskate and my friend Henry told me my neighbors were laughing. It seemed so reasonable to me… losing weight and picking up cans at the same time to pay for the bike….duh! There is a difference between how we see things and how others see us.

My mothers defining moment was after church one day she went outside with my father and got in a car that was similar to hers but belonged to someone else. On the seat was the key “right where she had thrown it.“ When I got outside my friend was scratching his head looking for his car. I looked over and saw my parent’s vehicle still parked outside.

He was about to call the sheriff when I said I think I know what happened and took him in my car to my parents. We found them walking around trying to figure out the situation. After an exchange everybody was happy … except my father that is. He was embarrassed because he knew what folks were going to say… that he was getting senile. My mother however blamed the driver who left his keys on the seat. My mom was a great blamer of others. Nothing was ever her fault.

My dad went and bought a new car. That was his answer… It was a self inflicted punishment of sorts and this new one looked nothing like the Taurus involved in the mistaken exchange. I shouldn’t chuckle because I know dementia is not funny and it is waiting just down the road. However, I chuckle none-the-less when Linda and I take life too seriously.

Remind me to tell the story about the Hut-Mobile in a future blog. It was amusing and another of those cases where I try to stifle my mirth.