I thought that I would repost the speech I gave at his 90th birthday. What a celebration it was. Grandpa loved a party... and tonight, I raise my glass to him.
 |
| Grandpa and I celebrate Obama's election in November, 2008. |
May 29, 2011
A celebration of 90 years.
Wow. I've been telling people
about this party and going home for my grandpa's 90th birthday blowout for
weeks now and I know what people imagine when I tell them this: a small party
with food that doesn’t require too much chewing, but does allow for an early
bedtime. And I try to tell them that
this party is different, that this is a party. Not
many people have a grandpa that is willing to plan such a big party, although
it seems that we Shanks have always been big on birthdays. But not many people
have the enthusiasm and the family and the friends and the life, 90 years
worth, full of passion and excitement that my grandfather does. And he has been
able to maintain that for 90 years. Can we just pause on that? 90 years of
passion. That does merit a celebration.
It wouldn’t be a party for Grandpa without a little bit of
politics, of course. After all, the
Obama’s were invited! And, as many of
you know, Grandpa and I share a passion for politics. I lived in Indiana for the two years leading
up to Obama’s election in which there was plenty of time to fuse our political
solidarity. It started when I went over to his house to watch General Petraeus
speak about the Iraq war after the surge. You know, a common activity for
grandfathers and granddaughters, right? It led to many conversations,
discussing the politicians we disliked, mocking the especially nutty ones and then
conferring on the merits of the new candidate: Barack Obama.
In November, when we all waited in anticipation for the presidential
election returns at Grandpa’s house, I remembered watching Clinton's
inauguration there when I was 10. I reminisced on the last eighteen years of my
political awareness and marveled at Grandpa’s persevering passion. I was also so pleased that it was directed in
the blue direction instead of the red! This is a man who, upon listening
to his granddaughter’s anecdote about meeting and shaking hands with Vice
President Dan Quayle, asked if she had washed her hands immediately after!
Of course, Grandpa’s passion for political conversation can just
as easily be turned in another direction: that of your significant other. I can't
remember when this phenomenon first started for me, but I know that all of his
grandchildren can recount tales of embarrassment and interminable, probing
questions. Who hasn’t answered this: “So, who are the
men/women in your life these days?”
I remember when I brought a couple of guy friends from school
over to his house to swim one summer. As
I was filling a glass of water in the kitchen, I heard Grandpa ask them, “Do
you prefer a female fully clothed, partially clothed, or completely nude?” I
sighed and hunkered down in the kitchen, just waiting for the conversation to
be over. My friends thought that he was
the coolest.
I asked around among the grandchildren for other anecdotes and
Shirena relayed the story about her first boyfriend. Grandpa made her take him to the boyfriend’s
house with the gift that she had purchased for him and while standing at the
door with all three of them together, he said, “Shirena will trade you this
gift for a kiss!” As for the rest of the
anecdotes, of which there are many, they are a bit too x-rated for this venue.
But, this embarrassing topic of conversation has become more
endearing as I’ve thought about what it means. It means that my grandfather
isn’t one to live in the past or only focus on himself. He cares so much about us to keep track of our
dates and boyfriends and girlfriends and husbands and wives. He brings this passion for living to our lives
as well. And I'm sure that most of you have experienced the same thing. You've
been there when grandpa has talked to a waitress for 15 minutes because he
honestly cares what her major is. And you've been there when he has talked to
you for an hour about what you want to do and why and how and he doesn't seem to
mind if, like me, it changes every 2 months.
It’s a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for others. It’s a tremendous amount of passion for life!
We can all learn from this.
We can stand to take a little of his enthusiasm and zest into our own
lives. Because doesn't it just seem more fun when you can share politics or
care
that much about the people around you? And though we all squirm when Grandpa
makes a risqué comment, it gives us grandchildren the best anecdotes, doesn’t
it?
In truth, how many people, whether
they’re 90 or not, watch speeches on CNN with their granddaughter or host
election night parties or carry on a political dialogue or keep up on 10
grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren and numerous friends and adopted
family members and all of the minutiae of their lives? How many people, whether they’re 90 or not,
maintain this passion and never give up on making the world a better
place? Who have seen hard times and good
times and 90 years of happiness and tragedy and war and peace and still care
enough to keep striving for a better world?
90 years of that? I don’t know anyone else. And he’s MY grandpa. I am so lucky. But, here we are. So, I guess, aren’t we all so lucky? 90 times yes.
Comments