Saturday, January 30, 2021
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Joe reluctantly came into this World. When the doctor smacked his bottom, he didn’t breathe. Another whop, he still didn’t breathe. Over and over, by then his Soul was probably getting mad. Why come into a World where they beat you up? My mother said his whole body was black and blue. But then he probably saw into future. The loving wife he would have for over 40 years. His two adorable children.
The cozy house on the side of the mountain with a big yard, the place he called his sanctuary.
And that’s when he grinned and decided to take a breath. From that moment on he smiled, joked and made people happy.
He was a hard worker that didn’t stop in retirement. His favorite pastime was yard work and he manicured his lawn within an inch of its life. It was his meditation.
Once I called and asked what he’d been doing. He replied, “Weed eating the yard. I got so caught up in it I headed down the shoulder of the road, halfway to the church. I didn’t realize what I was doing until a passing neighbor stopped and asked if I’d gotten a part-time job with the county!”
He wasn’t a big talker, but a big laugher. Once he took my husband and me to the petroleum tank farm he managed. He and his colleague had recorded an instructional CD of proper procedures for new drivers. For me the most memorable part were the instructions for entering the loading bay! “You stop here at the top of the hill and look down at the ground next to the pumps. If it’s wet and it hasn’t been raining, don’t move. A while back a truck with hot tires pulled into a pool of spilled gas. The truck, canopy, everything blew up. Bottom line, don’t go down there if it’s wet!”
Bottom line, that was my baby brother Joey. Kind, witty and loving. Although we didn’t see each other often, I miss him and his deep, wry laugh.
