My grandfather, David, never fails to dazzle me with his effortless intellect, and his kindhearted nature. I never want to stop talking with him so choosing him for this interview just felt right. When I sat down to interview him with steaming green tea in both our hands I knew our conversation was going to delight me, and anyone who read it.
He grew up as a middle child of eight siblings in the ‘50s. In his words “It was the perfect time to grow up, because you could do whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want,” so naturally stories from his childhood are quite interesting. He worked various jobs as a teenager, but eventually became an art director. If you asked him to describe his career he would tell you he never worked a day in his life because he loved his work. It would be remiss to not mention his wife, my lovely grandmother Mabel. They’ve been married for 53 years, and they couldn’t be happier.
CECELIA – (Jofully) My first question is how would you describe yourself as a child? Were you happy?
GRANDPA – (Gliding into the word) Yes, I was happy. You know, it was the ’50s. It was the perfect time to grow up, because you could do whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want, without—I mean, much fear of being swept away in a panel truck by a bunch of no goods. In fact, coming from a family of (pauses to think) seven children. Lisa (mutters and counts names on his fingers) eight children.
BOTH – (Burst of laughter)
GRANDPA – My mother was anxious to get us out of the house, usually.
CECELIA – Who were your best friends in childhood? How would you describe them?
GRANDPA – (Long sip of his tea and click of his tongue) Well, my best friends, Mushka. (With a giggle in his voice) Whose real name was Bruce Schneider. And later, probably Michael Schrempp. Yeah, probably those two. So, I mean Mushka lived nearby. He lived on top of the bar, in fact, (with laughter) his father had Leo’s Bar. And we couldn’t go up there, but, you know, we were real close. So we ran around a lot, and then Michael Schrempp.
CECELIA – How would you describe your relationship with them?
GRANDPA – (Clearing throat) I hung around with him a lot. His mother was sort of my other one of my other mothers. Oh, and I forgot about Willie. Oh, for heaven’s sake. Bob Williams as well. He didn’t have a mother. And so he— he and I spent a lot of time together when I was, you know, late, early teens, you know, like we didn’t really have middle school, but you know, that age, so. And, you know, we did all the stuff that you do, like do something stupid and get in trouble and, and then pay the Piper for having gotten in trouble and then do something else stupid.
CECELIA – What did you think your life would be like when you were older?
GRANDPA – (With a small laugh) Huh… Well, I always wanted to be an artist. You know, it’s funny because in the old days, your dream was kind of very simple. (Thinking through his words) Ya you know, like having a house. (Chuckling) So I mean, I had no particular dream of being famous, (with intensity) which is why I’m not famous. I had no particular dream of being rich, (jokingly) which is why I’m not rich. (Slightly muttering) Well, one of the reasons. And I was—You know, you remember when you were a kid, I still get along better with kids than adults, so I…
CECELIA – (Fondly) I remember Ring Around the Rosie.
GRANDPA – Well, I was used as a.…almost a babysitter for family functions and stuff, because that would keep the kids away from bugging their mothers and stuff. Anyway, what did I want to be when I was older? I thought I should open a daycare, but, you know, who would trust a male owner of a daycare?
CECELIA – Ya.
GRANDPA – So I became an art director instead.
CECELIA – How has your life been different than you’d imagined?
GRANDPA – Different. Let me think…Once again, because I didn’t really have much of a solid plan for life, it’s hard to look at it and say, “Well, gosh, this is sure different than I expected.” Because I didn’t expect much. (A moment of realization) you know, one thing that’s different is…because, my parents are still alive, your great grandparents, and in their 90s, that’s different.
(Thoughtfully after a long pause) I didn’t always get along with my father.
CECELIA – Can you tell me more about that?
GRANDPA – (Remembering) Well, I think, you know when he was young, from what I’ve heard, he was a bit of an outlaw. As was his father, a bit of an outlaw. And when I was young, I was viewed at least, because my older brother was—you know, he was an adult when he was in elementary school, okay? I wasn’t. And I’m still not, so that worried him. And so, you know, I came of age in the late 60s and early 70s. And what was prevalent at that time? You know drugs and things like that. I think my father was (stressing) pretty worried about me. Wandering off aimlessly. (Both laughing) He actually took a drug awareness class, perhaps not entirely for me, but he and I didn’t always get along. And he was under a great deal of pressure—his business was. He had union employees, and the union was very strong, and he was harassed (with a chuckle) by the Union and so on. He was in a fairly tense mood so we would have arguments at the dinner table and stuff, which were less than pleasant. And the thing that I couldn’t have foreseen (Thoughtfully) is that he and I would become very close. I enjoy visiting with them and so on, because you know, (sincerely) we have become almost friends, which is an interesting relationship, you know, compared to what it was when I was young. So that’s kind of one way my life is different, that’s for sure.
CECELIA – How did you get your first job?
GRANDPA – Well, so…(with a chuckle) first job. I had helped my father with the decorating business, you know? But I didn’t want to do that, I knew I didn’t want to do that. And so when I was like a senior in high school. I got a job cleaning a factory in Chaska. It was nice because there was no one there. There was no night crew or anything, so I just got to hang around the place. Set the alarm off several times, and were swarmed by police, which is always interesting.
CECELIA – That’s a hard one to explain.
GRANDPA – I also discovered that I wasn’t an electrician there because there was a plug on a buffer that was frayed, and I fixed it.
CECELIA – Oh no.
GRANDPA – And almost burned the place down.
CECELIA – Alone at night?
GRANDPA – Yeah.
CECELIA – Character building one could say.
GRANDPA – There was an enormous, you know, electrical pop, and it turned (laughing) part of the wall black.
CECELIA – Say, I wonder what David did last night. (Both laughing loudly)
GRANDPA – So it was a shock.
CECELIA – Quite a shock, literally.
GRANDPA – (Laughing) Yeah. I held the cord about six inches away from the end to plug it in, because I didn’t trust myself anyway, and in retrospect, I was very wise for having done so.
CECELIA – Yeah. Might have saved you a couple of hairs like or your life.
GRANDPA – A couple of fingers at least (Chuckling) Yeah. I did that for a job in high school.
GRANDPA – So that was my first job away from, you know, from (ahh) my family anyway. And I worked there a couple of years after having graduated, and then went to—it wasn’t a couple of years—probably one year. And then I went to a place called, which isn’t even there anymore, Research Incorporated and worked in the metal (ahh) department. I don’t know. I worked there a couple of years, and then went to school to, you know, advertising and design school, and worked at night back at the, at the first place, but not as a maintenance guy. I worked in the factory part. So (ahhh) that was my first job. And then After I got out of school, of course, then, I then I went to work as a professional (art director), (laughing) If you want to call it that.
CECELIA – So do you think the line of work that you chose was the right choice for you?
GRANDPA – Why, yes. Because the old saying is, if you do what you like you don’t work a day in your life, and I have been accused by your grandmother, my lovely bride, (laughing) for not having worked a day in my life.
CECELIA – How did you and Grandma meet?
GRANDPA – Well that was in kindergarten. I don’t know. I don’t really remember her. (Chuckling) ‘Cause she was a crummy girl, you know?
CECELIA – (Laughing) I mean, why would you
remember her? Obviously.
GRANDPA – (Laughing) So finally, in about eighth grade, I realized that, hey, there are girls. I’ll be darned. And I didn’t particularly care for her at that time, because, you know, she was, I mean, I had known her my whole life, you know, I had known all the girls in eighth grade in my whole life. But, meeting wasn’t really something that we even did because we just knew or knew of each other. I knew her brothers. I hung around with her. Two of her brothers, kind of. We used to play baseball. And I guess she played too.. So, you know, I knew the family certainly very well, and I knew her through that, but finally in —we were juniors in high school, together. I got dumped.
CECELIA – Oh.
GRANDPA – And she got dumped.
CECELIA – Oh.
GRANDPA – At about prom time. So we decided to go to prom together. Because we had known each other so long, what the heck…So, and I couldn’t get rid of her after that, no matter how hard (both laughing) I tried. Yeah, so anyway, I wasn’t exactly a Romeo, if you want to call it that, you know, so when I found a woman who was willing to put up with me, even at that tender age, I wasn’t going to force her to go anywhere.
CECELIA – Mhm.
GRANDPA – So in any case, we got married when we were 13 then, so that I could trap her in. (Laughing) No, not quite. So, yeah, we graduated together (high school) as—although all we did was fight and break up. We got that out of the way early, I think. So, uh… Yeah. And then, she went to school and you know, I guess, we got married, and then I went to school and here we are.
CECELIA – Did you propose or was it just like, well?
GRANDPA – I did. I did. How great is that? Wow. I probably didn’t do it very well.
CECELIA – How did you do it?
GRANDPA – (Chuckling) I don’t know. I can’t remember.
BOTH – (Laughing)
CECELIA – She must have said yes. Even if you don’t remember.
GRANDPA – Ah I know, she proposed to me once because there was some silly thing, I don’t know if it was. I had never heard of it, but during leap years, women are allowed to propose to men. These were the old days, you know?
CECELIA – Do tell.
GRANDPA – This was the early ’70s, so (clears throat). There was more decorum in those days, as far as who proposes to whom? So in any case I can’t remember too much about it. (Almost interrupting himself) Oh, I know. I had planned to propose to her on this particular day, whenever it was. And her brother Bernard comes and says, “Hey, Tina and I got engaged!”
CECELIA – Ope…
GRANDPA – And I said for crying out loud. You know, what am I going to do now? So I went ahead and did it anyway. I’d have probably lost the ring if I hadn’t, you know. (Laughing) Or she might have left. I mean, who knows? As I told you, I was pretty, I was pretty serious about not having to start over, so…
CECELIA – Well something worked out.
GRANDPA – Yeah, it seems to have.
CECELIA – Should we finish up?
GRANDPA – Sure, but before we do that thank you very much to share my entire life, this is everything my entire life that my 73 years have rendered.
CECELIA – I must’ve asked pretty good questions.
BOTH: (Laughing)
