For Your 100th Birthday

Dear Grandpa,

I woke up this morning and realized today is your 100th birthday and wondered if you were here what you would want to do for your birthday, ‘cuz a 100 is a big one.

Eight years ago you set off for whatever comes after our time here is done and I know we didn’t talk about what you wanted to do today. Oh I know we had discussions about turning 100 because I remember some of them, but most of them took place when I was around 10 or so.

My guess is if you were here today you’d tell us you never expected to live this long and then we’d figure something out. My second guess is your great grandson would suggest that it would be a good time for the Wilner men to do something together again and he would have more than a few ideas about what we all might enjoy.

A Good Story Makes A Great Gift

You probably wouldn’t be surprised to find out that your oldest son has gotten soft in his old age and the guy who sometimes made me wonder if we was truly related to you sounds more and more like you each day.

Hell, if I miss you sometimes all I have to do is call my dad or watch him with the kids and there you are. It is the little things, comments, gestures and movements that jump out at me.

But we’ll save that for a different day because today I keep thinking about the stories you used to tell and the ones you would ask me to share.

So if you were here I’d tell you about a 21 hour car trip and share a couple tales about some of the adventures that are tied into that time. I had more than a few and I expect to have some more.

Got two videos to share with you and a couple of quick comments.

1. I took both of these videos with my phone. If I am not mistaken when you died advanced cellphones had cameras that took basic pictures that weren’t very good. Don’t think video was a part of it.
2. The Dodgers and the Lakers still haven’t signed me to a contract, but I haven’t given up. I just need to find the right angle to convince them to give me a short term contract. Remember how you said it is all about how you tell the story? Well I am working on it.

and

You would have laughed if you had seen me the day I took that first video. I was in the background of a lot of pictures. They call that photobombing now, but I still think of it as an easy way to make my grandpa laugh.

That second video shows enough of my apartment for you to know it was comfortable and a place that made a few memories of its own.

Happy Birthday Grandpa.