Phoning it in - Part one
A tight circle of friends and family had popped up around me (kind of like the Black Eyed Peas pop into the Best Buy commercial) over the last three days and I really wasn't ready to talk to anyone outside of that group.
But my Dad had his own circle and it was time to start talking to them.
I had recovered a couple of different phone books that my dad had kept. It was going to be my only way to access these names and numbers.
Before I started making phone calls, I sent a blind email out to the contacts in his Outlook. I had no idea who any one of those people were but I thought it would be the right thing to do.
My first call was to Mrs. D. She is the mother of my dad's high school sweetheart and my dad had stayed in touch with her for the last 40+ years. I've never met her but she did get me tickets to the 1990 MLB All Star Game at Anaheim Stadium.
Honestly, I'm not even sure if she is still alive.
A frail voice answers the phone. I think I'm about to break an old lady's heart.
I tell her what happened and she thanks me for calling her. I ask her if she could tell her daughter and she says she will. She lets me know how sorry she is and I thank her for her kindness.
I also let her know how highly my dad always spoke of her. That makes her cry.
I excuse myself and end the call. I still have a few more to make.
Next up is Buffalo Bob, one of my dad's oldest friends. I'm pretty sure that he is already heard the news but I need to ask him something else.
I want him to speak at the funeral.
Back when my parents were married, we would spend time with Buffalo Bob's family at some of the bigger holidays. I remember being there for New Year's Eve and for Easter. One Easter at Buffalo Bob's house, I walked in on all of the adults putting together the Easter baskets for all of the kids. I can still remember Buffalo Bob looking at me as I walked into the room with Peeps in both hands and a cigar hanging out of his open mouth.
His face said one thing and one thing only - "Oh...Shit."
Bob answers on the third ring. I am going to cry during this phone call.
He asks how Number 2 and I are doing and I tell him that we're just trying to get through each day. Buffalo Bob knows about loss too. I went to the funeral of his oldest son when I was probably 14. I remember him saying to my dad, "I hope you never have to go through something like this."
I guess my dad was fortunate that he never did.
VW
But my Dad had his own circle and it was time to start talking to them.
I had recovered a couple of different phone books that my dad had kept. It was going to be my only way to access these names and numbers.
Before I started making phone calls, I sent a blind email out to the contacts in his Outlook. I had no idea who any one of those people were but I thought it would be the right thing to do.
My first call was to Mrs. D. She is the mother of my dad's high school sweetheart and my dad had stayed in touch with her for the last 40+ years. I've never met her but she did get me tickets to the 1990 MLB All Star Game at Anaheim Stadium.
Honestly, I'm not even sure if she is still alive.
A frail voice answers the phone. I think I'm about to break an old lady's heart.
I tell her what happened and she thanks me for calling her. I ask her if she could tell her daughter and she says she will. She lets me know how sorry she is and I thank her for her kindness.
I also let her know how highly my dad always spoke of her. That makes her cry.
I excuse myself and end the call. I still have a few more to make.
Next up is Buffalo Bob, one of my dad's oldest friends. I'm pretty sure that he is already heard the news but I need to ask him something else.
I want him to speak at the funeral.
Back when my parents were married, we would spend time with Buffalo Bob's family at some of the bigger holidays. I remember being there for New Year's Eve and for Easter. One Easter at Buffalo Bob's house, I walked in on all of the adults putting together the Easter baskets for all of the kids. I can still remember Buffalo Bob looking at me as I walked into the room with Peeps in both hands and a cigar hanging out of his open mouth.
His face said one thing and one thing only - "Oh...Shit."
Bob answers on the third ring. I am going to cry during this phone call.
He asks how Number 2 and I are doing and I tell him that we're just trying to get through each day. Buffalo Bob knows about loss too. I went to the funeral of his oldest son when I was probably 14. I remember him saying to my dad, "I hope you never have to go through something like this."
I guess my dad was fortunate that he never did.
VW
posted by JVW at 10:35 PM
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