a good man

charlie lanker summer 2007, on the front porch of the house he built in 1947.  in those days before you married you had to build a place for the two of you to live.  so, grandpa built this house and married esther rhinehart by the fireplace.  

charlie was born on march 9, 1913, in the kitchen of the farmhouse over his left shoulder.  he likes to joke "i didn't get very far, did i?"  but he did get far.  for more than 80 years he grew the corn that fed america, and lately, the world.  he loved my grandma a lot.  he was not the same after she died in 1998.  it stretches my mind to think of the two of them stealthily climbing out a window and running under the moonlight during harvest season.  or watching lightning bugs from the porch late into the night.  i like this photo of grandpa because it portrays his dignity, poise, and determination.

 

charlie's famous wink.   grandpa's sister "aunt ruth" used to wink like this too.  who did they learn it from?  and who did THEY learn it from?  it could be that this wink came over from germany with the hessians, before the ohio valley was settled.  

here we are, charlie and mark, in summer of 2008.  i've seen alot of changes in him over the last year.  sometimes he makes me laugh, other times i feel very sad.  what i've learned this year is that its good to share the laughter and the tears.  charlie says to me, and i'll tell you, that when you are young and your lungs are good, and your body is strong, GO AND DO what you want to do, what matters to you, do something you will remember when you are 95.