The Adventures Of Grandpa & Me In August Of '69 Poem by Frank James Ryan Jr...fjr

My grandparents on my mothers side had a summer home
located in Cape May, New Jersey, an awesome ocean
front property that overlooked the great Atlantic,
and which I looked forward in going to with my parents
the entire month of August, every year.

My grandmother was an easy going gal, a live and let live
stay at home wife type. As a grandmother she took me
everywhere, but aside from that she basically stayed home,
cooked, baked and coddled to my grandfathers every whim.

Now, on the flip side, my grandfather was a tough, head-
strong German who was born and raised in the USA by his
parents, or my great-grandparents, both supposedly twice
as tough and stubborn as he. As a young man he enlisted
in the United States Army to fight in WWI.He was in the
Cavalry Division, was well decorated and fought in the
very well known 'Battle of Argonne Forest'. Once home, he
was always on the run, working many different jobs, and
saving his money to fulfill his dream of owning a car
dealership, which he not only realized before his 30th
Birthday, but along with his brother, my Uncle Bill the
two of them owned three dealerships over the next five
years. Both of them could sell tons of ice to an Eskimo.
And both were as debonair as they come, dressed to the
nines and with smiles to match. My grandfather and Uncle
were one of the very few success stories of the Great
Depression of the early 1930's.But enough of all that.
Let's get back to Augusts in Cape May with Grandpa!

Now, at the time(being only eight) I was not aware of it.
But it wasn't long after that I was unequivocally con-
vinced that Grandpa had within him a hidden vein filled
with pure 100 proof teenage blood, as an August never
went by, without he and I finding ourselves on the wrong
side of What was supposed to be a quiet Summer Vacation.
When I was ten years old, he explained to me this theory
called ''Murphy's Law'', and then proceeded to tell me
that he grew up with and was best friends with Murphy!
And, before that Summer was over, I would have sworn
on a large stack of Gideons that he was telling me the
God'a honest truth!




[Considering a Series on this storyline,
but only if this piece garners serious
interest. Unfortunately, history tells
me this kick-off effort will most like-
ly be a Quarterback sack and a one and
done Series.But, that's just speculat-
ion. Proof is in the traffic & comments].







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Frank James Ryan Jr. / FjR