Grandpa's birthday

[judecorp]

Today is my grandfather's 90th birthday! That is so frickin' amazing! I went to call him for his birthday this morning and he wasn't home - he was out getting a haircut. Let us count all of the ways that this is so awesome:

1. He has enough hair to get a haircut. At 90.
2. He is healthy enough to go get a haircut by himself.
3. He drove his own car to get a haircut.

I mean, seriously, people! He is 90 years old! He lives in his own house (with my grandmother), drives his own car, recently bought himself a new computer because his other one was "too old," sends e-mail to his relatives in Portugal and Brazil, and goes out for coffee every day to meet his friends.

He was born in 1918. 1918! Can you even imagine what it must be like to have lived from 1918 to 2008? From no phones to phones with operators to rotary phones to push-button phones to cordless phones to cell phones. From no TV to radio shows to black and white TV to color TV to cable TV to high definition TV. And the car technology! And computers! Oh my goodness, the stories he can tell.

I hope that if I live to be 90 (or older), I am in as good shape as he is. It is the most amazing thing ever. I can't stop gushing about it. I just love him so much.

Comments

[aminahfiddler.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday Jude's grandpa.

You forgot about how much air travel and cars have changed.

I hope I'm healthy and live to be 90!

[etherial.livejournal.com]

When my mother's mother was 90, she remodeled her kitchen. She spent some time stepping from rafter to rafter.

[whuffle.livejournal.com]

That is way cool. At least 2 of my grandparents didn't live to see 90. I'm glad that your grandfather and others like him are still cruising and showing us youngsters what we can look forward to.

[ntiva.livejournal.com]

This post was so awesome! I just love hearing stories of people like your grandfather. I've personally known two other people just like him and they are the most inspiring people ever. They sound just like him.

And the "enough hair to cut" comment totally made me chuckle out loud. :)

[msredkitty.livejournal.com]

happy birthday grandpa! i love stories like this. my great grandma was still driving at 90 too (her 58 chevy bel air that she changed the oil on until she was 80) and gardening every day, living on her own. here's to awesome grandparents!

[folkyboy.livejournal.com]

i have to agree, that's pretty fuckin amazing! it's nice your affection for him is so strong :)

[tea-soaked.livejournal.com]

Wow! 90! Awesome.

[evewasframed.livejournal.com]

Your grandpa sounds great!

But I'm not sure how keen I am about people driving at 90!

[hyperpurple.livejournal.com]

Wow, none of my grandparents hit (0r will hit) 90- the one I have left has cancer and is not long for this world.


My Uncle Albert (my mom's uncle), on the other hand is in his 90's. He's the person in my mom's family I get along with best: Me; Gay punky and feminist. Him: never been married or had a date, a wheat farmer, lives in the middle of nowhere ( his town has 200 people total). You do the math. I think that Uncle Albert and I have a lot more in common than one would suspect.

Uncle Albert still has cows, drives the Combine, walks a mile up the dirt road to tend to his orchard and garden, chops enough wood to provide fire for the entire country of Uganda and cooks on a wood stove, in a house that only got an indoor bathroom in 1992.

Anyway, Where I was going with this was "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JUDE'S GRANDPA!"

[sudrin.livejournal.com]

If he is still driving that shows he is in extraordinary shape. That really is wonderful.

Re: Grandpa

[(Anonymous)]

My great-grandmother is the only living grandparent I have left and she'll be 101 January 19. 101!!! I can't believe all of the stuff that has happened in her lifetime! Unlike your grandpa, she doesn't drive, but heck... she's still alive! It's amazing what our grandparents are capable of.

<3

Laura S - a.k.a sassy smurf

[hoo.livejournal.com]

One of my great-grandfathers lived from 1848 to 1952. One of his earliest memories was being held up on shoulders to watch soldiers march off to the Crimean War. From that right through to scheduled passenger airline flights.

[vorpalbla.livejournal.com]

Being cool with your granddaughter's lesbianity (which I assume he is) is also an accomplishement for a dude that old. And certainly not universal.
I hope when I'm 90 I'm in as good shape as grandpa, and also that I stay open-minded. Who knows what will be shocking old folks by then?