Saturday, May 31, 2008
I was just thinking the other day how many weird and interesting people there are in my life. So I kinda got this urge to write character sketches on a couple of them…. Here is one of them.
Bernard Wallace is his name, or just Bernie for short. When I first met him two years ago he seemed to me like the prince of curmudgeons as he eyed me critically from his perch on the porch steps and asked the friend who had introduced us if I could really mow his lawn. When my friend told him that yes, this shrimpy blonde-haired, blue-eyed twelve-year-old could actually do a satisfactory job mowing a lawn, believe it or not, he replied with a non-too-enthusiastic grunt. When I had finished the lawn work, a task not completed without adventure, he was quite pleased with the work I did (even though I left his mower run down the hill, across the road, and into a fence post). I mowed his lawn and weeded he flower beds for him whenever he asked me to, and he took a liking to me. But I soon noticed one thing that bothered me. He never smiled-- never, and I took upon myself the challenge of lifting the corners of his mouth. He complained to me about his neighbors, about the crazy people on the road, about being old, about neighborhood hoodlums, about… well, just about everything. I tried to be positive (Lord knows I didn’t always get it done) because I could see beneath the shell of anger, frustration, pain, and pessimism a heart of gold, and I was determined to uncover it. It was not an easy task, and sometimes I wondered if there was any hope for the man. Then, slowly, he started coming to life. I watched him smile for the first time since I had met him with the same feeling of tremendous joy and satisfaction as when I watch a pet bird takes its first flight. Winter’s spell was finally broken, and spring had come. He learned to laugh; he learned to love; He learned to live to its fullest.
Caleb and me went out to eat with Bernie this morning at Bird-in-Hand Restaurant. He is a really nice guy once the real Bernie comes out, even if it takes him a while to warm up to you. It is really crazy how this guy is changing, and really cool to watch him change from a grump into a friendly man that will actually crack a joke or two.
ok you guys have a really nice day and be good and all that nice stuff,
conrad
Bernard Wallace is his name, or just Bernie for short. When I first met him two years ago he seemed to me like the prince of curmudgeons as he eyed me critically from his perch on the porch steps and asked the friend who had introduced us if I could really mow his lawn. When my friend told him that yes, this shrimpy blonde-haired, blue-eyed twelve-year-old could actually do a satisfactory job mowing a lawn, believe it or not, he replied with a non-too-enthusiastic grunt. When I had finished the lawn work, a task not completed without adventure, he was quite pleased with the work I did (even though I left his mower run down the hill, across the road, and into a fence post). I mowed his lawn and weeded he flower beds for him whenever he asked me to, and he took a liking to me. But I soon noticed one thing that bothered me. He never smiled-- never, and I took upon myself the challenge of lifting the corners of his mouth. He complained to me about his neighbors, about the crazy people on the road, about being old, about neighborhood hoodlums, about… well, just about everything. I tried to be positive (Lord knows I didn’t always get it done) because I could see beneath the shell of anger, frustration, pain, and pessimism a heart of gold, and I was determined to uncover it. It was not an easy task, and sometimes I wondered if there was any hope for the man. Then, slowly, he started coming to life. I watched him smile for the first time since I had met him with the same feeling of tremendous joy and satisfaction as when I watch a pet bird takes its first flight. Winter’s spell was finally broken, and spring had come. He learned to laugh; he learned to love; He learned to live to its fullest.
Caleb and me went out to eat with Bernie this morning at Bird-in-Hand Restaurant. He is a really nice guy once the real Bernie comes out, even if it takes him a while to warm up to you. It is really crazy how this guy is changing, and really cool to watch him change from a grump into a friendly man that will actually crack a joke or two.
ok you guys have a really nice day and be good and all that nice stuff,
conrad
Friday, May 30, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
I am LOVING highschool. So i bike to work... write down fifteen minutes of phys ed in my log book. work at bens? write it in as science. Weed in the garden? scribble down 2 hrs. of a science project. wow. :)
merry christmas and a happy new year to ya'll,
conrad
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Just to let you all know that... yeah, there are still a couple good ppl on the face of the earth.
Me and Leonard went biking on Sunday and he wanted to go to Smoketown airport to watch the airplanes for awhile. so we walk over to this little porch thingy and an old dawdy walked up to us. He was bout as tall as i am and he had a long beard, twinkly eyes, and a dutch accent (and he could speak dutch too cuz he asked me "bisht doo dietch?". funny thing,) the old guy wanted to show us around and he was telling us all about his day. The poor man needed someone to listen to him. He walked us down to this one plane and was showing us around when a tour plane comes in. Then he kinda lighted up and said, "Hey! you guys wanna go up? C'mon! i got a blank check!" so we went up in this tiny cessna (it was full with the pilot, me, leonard, and the old dawdy) for about a half hour. we flew right past our house and everything. really awsome. :)
I applied for a job at this place called Pioneer. Its like a farm and greenhouse where they raise seed corn and all kinds of hybrids and stuff. so i'm really excited about that.
my day looks really busy. I gotta plant strawberries, spray weed killer, weed eat, and then at one oclock i have a dentist appointment, then i needa go milk after that. so why am i sitting on the couch updating my blog!!!
ttyl,
conrad9
Me and Leonard went biking on Sunday and he wanted to go to Smoketown airport to watch the airplanes for awhile. so we walk over to this little porch thingy and an old dawdy walked up to us. He was bout as tall as i am and he had a long beard, twinkly eyes, and a dutch accent (and he could speak dutch too cuz he asked me "bisht doo dietch?". funny thing,) the old guy wanted to show us around and he was telling us all about his day. The poor man needed someone to listen to him. He walked us down to this one plane and was showing us around when a tour plane comes in. Then he kinda lighted up and said, "Hey! you guys wanna go up? C'mon! i got a blank check!" so we went up in this tiny cessna (it was full with the pilot, me, leonard, and the old dawdy) for about a half hour. we flew right past our house and everything. really awsome. :)
I applied for a job at this place called Pioneer. Its like a farm and greenhouse where they raise seed corn and all kinds of hybrids and stuff. so i'm really excited about that.
my day looks really busy. I gotta plant strawberries, spray weed killer, weed eat, and then at one oclock i have a dentist appointment, then i needa go milk after that. so why am i sitting on the couch updating my blog!!!
ttyl,
conrad9
Saturday, May 24, 2008
school picnic
Everbody is tryin to get me an my good buddy chrit to come back next year. I doubt it. I'm frantically searching for a good excuse to not come back. so whatever.
ttyl,
conrad
Friday, May 23, 2008
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