Hey Grandpa, Do You Have Time for a Few Questions?

If you're anything like me, you have always wondered what it would be like to sit down and have a conversation with someone that you've always admired.  Just the two of you, with no time limit and an endless number of questions to ask.

I've given it a great deal of thought recently on who that one person would be.  I can think of dozens of athletes I'd love to talk to.  Mickey Mantle comes to mind.  Satchel Paige would have a lot to say about his experiences here on earth.  Peyton Manning would be a fun conversation.  The great Muhammad Ali during his prime would have been a blast!

Many brilliant minds such as Einstein, Plato, Socrates or Edison would be intriguing to meet, although I doubt that I'd add much to the conversation.  Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi or Nelson Mandela would be fascinating to meet and speak with.  No, if I had the chance to sit down and speak with a single person, ask as many questions as I liked and really pick his brain it would have to be with my grandfather.

I was 31 when my grandfather passed.  Yes, I did know him quite well and spent several summers with him and my grandmother when I was younger, but I never had the chance to talk with him man to man.  As my life has progressed I have thought of him often.  I would have loved to have had him close by so I could have sought his advice, or picked his brain when big decisions came up.  I would have asked him how he and his family survived the depression.  I would have been interested in learning more about his 11 brothers and sisters.  I would have told him how much I admired his intelligence, even though he never went to high school.  I would have asked him how he met my grandmother and how he knew that she was the one for him.  I'd have been interested in finding out what his he had hoped his life would become when he was a young man.  I would have asked him about his own ancestors, and what brought them to America.  I would have wanted to know how life was different for him at 30, 40, and 50 years of age compared to myself at those ages.  I would have asked him who he admired growing up, or who he wanted to be like.  I would have sought his advice on raising children and points of wisdom to pass on to my own grandchildren.

My grandfather was something special.  He always had a smile to give and his love was tender and genuine.  He didn't ask for much, but he gave of himself completely.  I miss him.  It's hard to believe that he's been gone so long.  As my children grow and have kids of their own, I hope I can inspire them the way my grandfather inspired me.  I hope they can look up to me and want to spend time getting to know me.

Life is a gift, and at times people come into our lives and give us more than we were would have every expected.  My grandfather was one of them for me.  I can't wait to reunite with him again and say, "Hey Grandpa, do you have time for a few questions?"

The Common Man