The Good Stuff

The only thing I really accomplished while I was off work was to reclaim my basement. You see, our basement has one big room. It started out as my home office. Eventually, I had to give it up to my daughter when her two little brothers decided they each needed their own bedroom. Since those days both sons have taken it over in one capacity or another. My daughter and oldest son both did the grow up, move out, move back in thing. There were a few things they hadn’t thought of. Like say, supporting themselves. I couldn’t say much, I did the same thing.
Now it‘s mine again. I spent a couple days cleaning, painting, redoing the floor, that sort of thing. Finally, it was time to move in. This meant my old, boxed up stuff was going to be given life again. The first thing I drug in from the garage were the old book cases I made in high school, I’ve been dragging those things around all these years. My old wood shop teacher and I didn‘t get along, he gave me an F on them. He called a few years ago trying to sell me insurance. It’s ironic, he’s no longer a teacher but my book cases are as strong as ever.
It was time to unpack the boxes. I came across the briefcase I used when I drove a truck over the road. I might talk about that sometime. I found my dad and grandpa’s hard hats, they both worked in the oilfields. Priceless! There were the two surviving model cars from a lifetime ago. I say surviving because they’re not exactly in mint condition, but they’re on the bookcases just the same. I came across a couple of different sets of those pictures we used to get in those booths with the curtains at the mall. Yeah, that was fun.
It was the last three boxes that really got to me though. They were full of old pictures. Pictures I hadn’t seen in years. Old class pictures of the kids. Pictures of birthday parties, pets, their first bikes, first steps. There were pictures of the kids missing their front teeth. The boys in their new cowboy boots. Pictures of softball teams, football teams, even a couple pictures of them using the pot. There were pictures of brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and cousins. My political yard signs are now wall art. It looks like the Republican Headquarters.
I found pictures of my grandparents when my dad was baby. They were so young and had their whole lives ahead of them. There was one of my wife and I holding our new baby girl. Now my baby girl has her own seven year old son. Eventually, time gets us all .
There were pictures of old friends. One in particular, Tim, he died a few years ago. He was a real life cowboy. Most were taken at the bar, “Larry’s Place,” in Greensburg. I miss those days. I found a pocket knife an old man named George Zimmerman gave me. We worked together at “Butter Krust” bakery when I was seventeen. That old man’s gone too.
What a wonderful trip down memory lane. I found myself laughing, and yes, I’ll admit to tearing up a time or two. I realized I’ve had a wonderful life. And if my kids ever need the basement again, we’ll just pack the stuff back up and it’ll be okay. That’s my job, and this old guy wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Kevin McGinty can be reached at: kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net