Coming Home to Roost
Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 1:22 pm
Kind of odd-but OK as well. My parents have employed several people over the years in part/full time situations and our place is still considered home by some. My parents graduated high school in 1960. Person #2 is the somewhat weird situation that is currently developing.
Person #1(Gary) is my dad's step-nephew who graduated in 1974. He is a mechanic who moved to Phoenix in about 1980 and is now retired after many years as mechanic for the Phoenix. My dad's brother was killed in a farm accident in 1969 when Gary was in his early teens. We ended up not having a very good relationship with Gary's mom for various reasons. However, Gary kept coming to the farm and, for many years, spent 2 weeks of vacation at our place after he moved to Phoenix. Mom kind of put the kibosh on that as she got sick of waiting on him.
However, he basically considers the farm his home and considers Mom and Dad as surrogate parents.
We met Person #2 through Gary. #2 was about 3 or 4 years younger than Gary so he came out to the farm in his mid-teens. Long story short-he ended up living with us in his mid-to-late teen years. He was a very good worker, but he also got heavily involved in drugs during this time.
Mom and Dad had no experience/knowledge of the drug situation prior to this. Mom always says that they learned a lot through this process. I was about 10 years old during this time-so I was unaware of what was going on. I think that a lot of crap went down as they tried to help him-but I have never thought of asking what some of the specifics were.
He left in about 1977 and we next saw him for my Grandma's funeral in 1983. He came to the funeral and stopped at the house the same time.
This winter, while we driving to a basketball game with my parents-Person #2 came up and we were telling my kids some of #2's good and bad points. This was in a broader talk about who had worked for us over the years.
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OK, now we are up to the current time. Last week, he called my parents and visited with them a couple of times. They also gave him my cell phone number as a means of communication. He knew that my parents were going to my sister's this weekend and he sent them flowers labeled "Mom and Dad." We always kind of knew that he considered us "Home." but never this blatant and with 33 silent years. He is married and has 5 kids-I think he is retired from a manufacturing business in Wisconsin.
I know that my parents are gratified to hear from him as it provides some closure to the tough times that he put them through-40 (odd) years ago.
Obviously, he is searching for something in life, and at this point we are OK -but also a little wary-with what is going on.
Person #1(Gary) is my dad's step-nephew who graduated in 1974. He is a mechanic who moved to Phoenix in about 1980 and is now retired after many years as mechanic for the Phoenix. My dad's brother was killed in a farm accident in 1969 when Gary was in his early teens. We ended up not having a very good relationship with Gary's mom for various reasons. However, Gary kept coming to the farm and, for many years, spent 2 weeks of vacation at our place after he moved to Phoenix. Mom kind of put the kibosh on that as she got sick of waiting on him.
However, he basically considers the farm his home and considers Mom and Dad as surrogate parents.
We met Person #2 through Gary. #2 was about 3 or 4 years younger than Gary so he came out to the farm in his mid-teens. Long story short-he ended up living with us in his mid-to-late teen years. He was a very good worker, but he also got heavily involved in drugs during this time.
Mom and Dad had no experience/knowledge of the drug situation prior to this. Mom always says that they learned a lot through this process. I was about 10 years old during this time-so I was unaware of what was going on. I think that a lot of crap went down as they tried to help him-but I have never thought of asking what some of the specifics were.
He left in about 1977 and we next saw him for my Grandma's funeral in 1983. He came to the funeral and stopped at the house the same time.
This winter, while we driving to a basketball game with my parents-Person #2 came up and we were telling my kids some of #2's good and bad points. This was in a broader talk about who had worked for us over the years.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
OK, now we are up to the current time. Last week, he called my parents and visited with them a couple of times. They also gave him my cell phone number as a means of communication. He knew that my parents were going to my sister's this weekend and he sent them flowers labeled "Mom and Dad." We always kind of knew that he considered us "Home." but never this blatant and with 33 silent years. He is married and has 5 kids-I think he is retired from a manufacturing business in Wisconsin.
I know that my parents are gratified to hear from him as it provides some closure to the tough times that he put them through-40 (odd) years ago.
Obviously, he is searching for something in life, and at this point we are OK -but also a little wary-with what is going on.