Bob's Corner
From our weekly issue dated September 16, 2009
Had a visit last Saturday from the #1 favorite cousin from my List of Favorite Cousins. Good ol’ Frank Robert Smith finally made it to Cave Junction, after about a five-year gap since his previous visit.
We had a grand time, although only for the few hours he was here. But we had a good, enjoyable family visit, a quick look around part of the valley, and then dinner at a Cave Junction restaurant. All good stuff.
Frank, although “only” about 10 years older than I, was a fine mentor for me while I was growing up (still in process too). He was a father figure for me, and I’ve let him know how much I appreciate that, although it embarrasses him.
He took me in tow during my family’s annual visits to El Paso, Texas, birthplace of my parents. And when Frank moved to San Diego County, when we lived in National City, he stayed with us for a time while gaining employment. He hauled me around there too.
We talked over “old times,” although he claims that he doesn’t remember them as well as I. Thank goodness.
When he was drafted into the U.S. Army he left his really cool Oldsmobile in our garage. Don’t recall whether it was a ‘50 or ‘52, but it had a hot engine, and was black with white-and-pink pinstriping (look it up). Anyway, while Frank was in basic training I was to care for the car; you know, run the engine once a week; check the radiator. But, I decided to drive it out of the garage and up the driveway. Only dented one side a bit. Frank was very forgiving.
And we reminisced about summers in El Paso: the time he was fired from his newspaper delivery job because he decided to do it from his car (about a ‘49 Ford with loud dual exhausts) instead of by bicycle; the times we smuggled his buddies into a drive-in movie theater by placing them in the trunk of the ’49 and then moving the rear seat so they could enter the car; and the time I tried to steal his Lionel electric train set by stashing it in my mom’s suitcase. It didn’t fit. Hey, I was real young.
We shared many memories, as well as current events and family happenings. He’s become a golfer, and lives near San Francisco. Frank still has a positive, humorous take on life. He taught me a lot, although sometimes the lessons fade.
But I’m working on them. And it was great to see him, as we made plans to get together again. I’m hoping it won’t be five years, but much sooner.
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