I just have to share this, I started yesterday but my daughter came by and I had to stop.
Last Sunday I was shovelling snow and I went over to this elderly couples house down the street to help him with his drive way. After we were done he took out a bottle of European Moonshine and we had a couple of shots and his wife then came out with coffee. A few minutes later there grandson came by to drop something off. The tension between them was so thick you could cut it with a knife. When the grandson left they started telling me that they didn't understand and that his son had told them that there grandson was gay and tried to explain it to them. They both started cursing the school boards for teaching it and all of society for excepting it and how embarrassed and disappointed they were with him. The wife was way more curious and asked me what my take was on all of this being a little younger. I told them you can't teach this stuff and you just don't wake up one morning with these feelings and instead of trying to explain it I choose to tell them a story.
I was looking for someone very meticulour to work on my car and a friend of mine recommend me to a buddy of his. When I meet his friend he was definitely gay and when I told my friend that I was going to use his buddy and mentioned that his friend was gay, he automatically told me that he wasn't and was married with two children. I told my friend that he could turn it or flip it any way he wants but his friend is definitely gay and he still insisted I was wrong. On his buddies 50th birthday he came out to everyone at his party, wife, children, parents, in-laws everybody that was there and told them he was tired of living his life to everyone else's standards and to make everyone else happy he was sacrificing his own happiness and with his life slipping by he told everyone that he was gay and was having an affair with a man for the last 10 years.
I told them I didn't know the outcome of this but I know that he is the only person I will let work on my car and when I go there now I see a new person, like a weight is lifted off his shoulders and glowing like a pregnant lady. He was for the fist time in his life happy, now I then asked them at there age is there anything else they can ask for then to see there family and there grandson happy. I stated that I see it like there grandson is a very strong individual knowing the disappointment he would bring to them and the family but was head strong and confident enough to live his life to his standards not anyone else's and I would say that's one special kid and at the end of the day don't they want to see him live his life his way and happy. I left them both with a confused look on there face but growing up with my grandparents I know it's very hard to penetrate a older generation thick skin and really thought I just waisted my time. (So I thought). I was in my garage today and the elderly man came up my driveway with two glasses and one of his best bottle of moonshine, I could tell that by the dust on the bottle. He put the bottle down and reached out to shake my hand and he started saying the word thank you in Italian when he broke out with emotions and hugged me. I asked him what was going on, trust me you don't see men of that generation so emotional, he then thanked me for the advice I gave them. He talked to his grandson and told him he was very proud that he didn't choose to live his life for everyone else and that he wanted to live his live even if it not to the family's standard and how hard it must of been to get to this point. He told me with a voice full of energy that his grandson gave him the biggest hug that almost broke his ribs and the grandson told him the hardest part of it all was he knew he was going to disappoint his grandfather the man who came from Italy with nothing and made a beautiful life for his family, the man he respects the most in the world.
I told him his grandson is one smart kid and we had a couple of shots of moonshine which to us is known as grappa. He left thanking me again and when I went in the house my wife seen me full of emotions and I told her what had happened. My wife told me I was full of emotions because I made the world a better place, you made a bad situation good it's not going to be roses for them but the grandson is going to be happy and that I didn't push the issue but instead I made them understand and educated them and my wife was very proud how I went about that.
I told her sometimes I give advice but I should listen to it myself, she told me that I did and her biggest respect for me is that how hard it must have been to tell her. She then told me that we drew a line in the sand but it wasn't carved in stone and it can be moved but she said I'm a strong individual and if I want more I wouldn't hold back and tell her and she asked me if I wanted more. I told her I'm very happy and content where I am.
I just had to share this and as much as it really had nothing to do with me or my family I just have this really good feeling in me, just a needle in a hey stack but it just felt good.