Friday, January 6, 2012
I first met my Uncle Jerry, Aunt Dana and Cousins Jerri Faye and Ethel when I was fifteen for the funeral of our Cousin Scott. Ethel, Jerri Faye, Bobby Patrick and myself shared a comedic adventure straight out of Hollywood complete with cops, candy bar wrappers, out of state drivers lacking a license, pimps, hookers, an in over his head navigator and our parents that you would have needed to be a part of to fully appreciate. Great first impression to my uncle I'm sure, exposing his two little girls to the.... sights of inner Cleveland. He found it amusing and was more of a confidant than a disapproving authority figure. About a year later we were all in West Virginia together and horsing around as I usually did, exposed me as well as my counterpart cousins to the disapproving glares of uncles, aunts, parents... Ok I got yelled at. It was then That I found I had Knight to fight my cause. My uncle Jerry loomed over me as a buffer to make sure I didn't get yelled at or have to sit in a corner somewhere being punished for acting up or trying to have fun at a place where there wasn't much to do for a teenager except horse around with your cousins. I thought it was so cool that one of my uncles stood up for us against the rest. I'll never forget you Uncle Jerry you are one cool ass old man!! I can't swing it to come down to WV to see you off and that's gonna kill me, but I'll send you off in my own way and as I shed tears while I write this I know your looking down at me laughing telling me I'm too damn big to act like a girl. Normally I'd counter with a profanity or two, Just this once I'll let you laugh and I'll cry if I want to. Goodbye for now, You'll always have an uncontested place in my heart. Have a safe trip and call when you get there.
Daniel T.
