Snapshots

I have found myself frustrated because I can't seem to articulate what he has meant to me and the memories I have with him. He lived huge. Did big things. Talked loud. Danced like crazy. Debated ferociously. Read tirelessly.

Everything he did was done big.

Even though none of these snap shots of memories will mean anything to almost anyone reading this, I'll throw out random snapshots of my years with Paw-Paw:

- I remember him taking me out west when I was 10. We spent two weeks seeing the country. And I remember vividly him wanting to capture some moose on video. The only problem was, the moose were grazing so he decided to go and scare them in order to get an action shot. All you see in the video is him walking up to a moose, yelling "boo", while in the background a certain other family member is heard screaming, "Get back in the car jackass!". Classic moment.

- I remember Paw Paw always, and I mean always, finding spots in the yard I needed to do over after I cut the grass.

- I remember him drinking RC Cola's like it was aim in life just to stick it to Coke.

- I remember the way he loved Papa John's Pizza.

- I remember traveling on the interstate in his '83 Buick Regal. Me and my cousin Richard made it a point to strip all of the defrosting strips off of the back windshield. He ended up giving me that Regal as my first car years later.

- I remember Paw Paw shaving every night just before he would go to bed, which was right around 7:45 or so. He would come out in his V-Neck Tee, smelling like Brute, and hug us good night.

- I remember the countless conversations we had together about faith in Jesus. I remember him talking about Jesus as if Jesus were alive and a personal friend.

- I remember scaring Paw Paw one night while at a family reunion. It was late and the sun was down. Paw Paw was walking back down a dark trail and I stepped out and scared him like nobody's business.

- I remember being at that same campground, sitting on the porch, listening to the Katy Didd's announce their awe of God. And what sounded like noisy bugs to me, was suddenly given meaning as Paw Paw taught me about all creation worshiping it's God.

- I remember Paw Paw's grits. Incredible.

- I remember Paw Paw grabbing my head, from the time I was a baby it seems, and "scobbing my nob" which was his version of a "noogie" which for lack of a better nickname is simply hell unleashed on the scalp.

- I remember discovering for the first time that Paw Paw was human and made mistakes. He simply couldn't understand something that had happened to me and he let me know that. I was hurt and wounded and yet felt deep compassion for him.

- I remember him loading us up in his old GMC truck as little kids and flying down those old Alabama back-roads.

- I remember Paw Paw taking us to "cold cold creek" (yes it is literally just a really cold creek near the farm he grew up at). I remember all of the cousins swimming in a particular hole and wondering where Paw Paw and all the oldies went (the oldies refer to Paw Paw's 16 brothers and sisters). We then discovered they had a skinny dipping hole. Thank God it was down stream.