Something happens psychologically to your brain.
I mean no one wants to be called grandpa. “You’re too slow,
grandpa,” a taunt athletes make to each other (or at least I’ve been told. I’ve
never been much of an athlete, except when I made the final point my eighth
grade year in the final minute of my final basketball career as a B team 3rd
stringer! I am proud to say I was the only 3rd stringer of the B team, a title
of dubious distinction.)
No one, that is, except for, well, grandpas, I suppose.
Tucker Clark can call me Papa (what I called my grandpa,
A.W. Clark...yep, I am the middle link between two Clarks, two generations
apart). Or “Pa” which is what I called my other Pa ‘Keown. Or granddad, which
is what my kids called Waymon Terry “W.T.” , Melissa’s Dad.
I have even thrown out there “great dad”, you know like how
you call your uncle’s father. You don’t say “grand uncle,” you say, “great
uncle” so “great dad” has a nice ring to it, if I do say so myself.
Then of course, there’s Pops, Pappy, DanGrad (now that’s a
tongue twister if I ever heard one for a kid), and in the comments below you
can add some more I am sure.
Jaime McKeown already has my name lined out and Terrynce
Caleb has asked what I want to be
called. I’ve been indifferent with no rhyme or reason except that maybe I
wasn’t quite sure I was ready to BE a granddad or a Papa or even a great dad.
You see, until I became one, I didn’t feel old enough. Not
because I wasn’t old enough, I am. At 53, I am older than Terrynce’s granddad
was when he became one at 48. But I’m not as old as my Pa Keown was, who was 58
when I was born. My Papa Clark was born in the 1800s (Now that’s old!) And had
my daddy lived, he would have been 55 when Caleb was born! Well, 54 but he
would have been 55 on his next birthday. And, I’m not 54, I’m 53! But my
calendar and my mirror and my memories belie my feelings of whether or not I
feel old enough to be one.
But that was then. On November 18, 2015, I officially became
old enough, and my feelings finally caught up with me, and I truly felt like “I
really am a grand pa.” Or Grand dad. Or Poppy. Yep, something happens to your
brain! Whatever you want to call me, little Tuck, will be just fine, I’m ready
now.
P.S. And Tuck, just don’t call me “great dad” after
all...after seeing how your daddy took care of my wonderful daughter-in-law through
the birthing process...and how lovingly he holds you now, “great dad” can only
apply to your dad, and my son, who I am so proud of.
