A Memory

Continued from page 6

Horn toots and tire squeals

Neighbors and friends wave and shout and He strolls beside me

I look up at him and then downward

To make sure our feet are in unison

Cause we pretend to march like soldiers we laugh

And talk

And sing funny songs

Together

And we cross the street to The only restaurant in town Ruth and Harry’s.

Looking for a seat at the long lunch counter With the best sugared donuts, you could imagine.

My dad laughs as he orders one for me and one for him.

He sips his cup of coffee that Abby, our favorite waitress, slides in front of him.

Dad reaches in his pocket to grab some change to tip Abby

While other waitresses in white uniforms with black aprons

Scurry back and forth behind the counter

Amidst the clanking of the dishes and the clinking of the glasses

The big black bow on the back of Ruth’s apron looks like butterfly wings

As she flutters everywhere.

But Harry just washes the dishes and lifts the heavy racks of water glasses.

I am so small.

I can hardly reach the countertop

My feet dangle from the red-covered chrome stool

“What did you do at school today, ol’ buddy?” Daddy always asks.

And tell him about spelling and reading and the school bus and not eating my lunch that Mom packed.

“Do you think you will pass and go to the next grade?” Daddy always teases me.

I giggle and hug him so hard

When he asks me if the rain will hurt the rhubarb.

He is my buddy and I remember him

Always smiling

Always drawing me some pictures on a napkin

With a pencil he keeps in his shirt pocket while we sit there and munch our sugared donuts.

Not only is Jeff’s example of community service inspirational, but his words also have the power to encourage others, both younger and older, to join the effort to preserve and enrich their hometown. “You will meet many people and make many friends working together in civic activities,” he says. “You can learn leadership skills. Rotary in particular is a learning ground for civic leadership with a yearly rotating leader group and many activities to hone your skills on.”

Jeff emphasizes that the act of doing something – as opposed to doing nothing –cannot be overstated. “Getting involved is a positive action. You will be working on some of the things we all know our town needs,” he says. “Our town runs on the actions of volunteers, the borough council, the school board, our firefighters, our children’s sports, the community center and on and on.”

“We need you to help build and run our community,” he concludes.

”I cannot imagine life without civic involvement today,” Jeff adds. “Each activity led to another and new experiences and friends. My life has been much richer because of them.” •

I always stay close by him so, I don’t get lost

I am always afraid of losing him. Happy that we are together

Happy to hold his hand.

Happy that he is my father.

It’s funny how biting into a treat

It’s funny how the clink of a dish

It’s funny how the scratching of a pencil on a slip of paper

It’s funny how a simple photograph

Reminds you of times from long ago. Those special moments that didn’t seem so special back then.

Just ordinary things

That will never be ordinary again.

But I can still walk down that street with him

Past the 5&10 cent store

As we giggle and pretend to march in a parade

While I hold his hand so tightly

Very tight so I don’t lose him

I can’t lose him.

I can still sit on the chrome stool by him

At the long, busy lunch counter

At the only restaurant on main street

No

I won’t lose him

All I have to do is close my eyes and Dream, you see.

And, even years after his death

I still eat a sugared donut with dad.