So long, sir.

Last night was kind of recovery night around the house.  While it was nice having the World’s Greatest Nana come for a visit, we couldn’t take care of certain things with her around…like trips to the laundromat.  So, like a good little husband, when I got home from work I headed to look at a duplex that is for rent with the family, and then I headed off on my own to get 5 loads of laundry done.  $17 dollars and 2 hours later, I came home, and my wife gave me a hug, and told me she had some bad news. 

While I had been gone, my father had called and told her that my Uncle Jim, who lives down in Texas, had passed away.

My dad’s side of the family is not as close as my mom’s side of the family is.  I don’t think my dad had seen Jim(or his sister that Jim is married too) for about 10 years.  For my mom(since she divorced that side of the family), it would have been even longer, but, Jim was the Best Man at their wedding, and so when I called my mom to let her know, she was more than a little sad also.

I’m not sure you would call me sad…maybe sorrowful would be a better term for it.  There were no tears…we weren’t that close…more the regrets for lost opportunity, and knowledge that the world had lost one of it’s Good Guys. 

Once upon a time, my dad was a Navy Recruiter stationed in Texas.  We spent two years living in Air Force Base Housing on Dyess AFB outside of Abilene, and another two years living in San Angelo.  That was from about age 3 to age 7 for me, and I remember doing a lot with him during that time.  He was into hunting and taxidermy.  I distinctly remember the jackalope he had mounted out in his workshop. 

Eventually, my dad was transferred out of Texas, and I saw my Uncle very rarely, but he continued to be a positive influence on the outdoorsy side of me. 

When my grandfather died, by dad came back from Texas with a Winchester Model 70 in 7mm Rem Mag that Jim had convinced him to buy me at a gun show, because he had heard it was good for both deer and elk.  Jim preferred the long, flat shooting cartridges in Texas, his own personal favorite being .25-06, since there were no elk to worry about.

Early in the 1990’s, Jim came down with a pretty bad case of arthritis.  Rather than role over on it, he started a Knife Manufacturing business.  He made some right pretty knives too.  When I got my first(only) elk, I sent him the spikes in the mail, and he used one to make me a handle for a knife.  Of course, that knife is currently in my ‘hunting’ bin in our storage unit, but take my word for it for know…it’s nice, and functional. 

One of my bigger regrets in life is that a few years ago, I got an updated flyer from him on what he was making knife-wise.  I had in mind to order a knife for each of my daughters…something I could put aside ‘family heirloom’ style, until the right moment to give them to them.  As happens in life, things got busy, and I put it off until later…the sad truth being the occasionally, there is no ‘later.’ 

Thanks for all the Good Times, Uncle Jim.