Grandpa Ben

 I'm so old I remember when we didn't have twist tops on bottles. I was reminded of that when I was with my granddaughter Shyann. We had ordered a pizza and was sitting at a table; I had purchased each of us a fountain drink while we waited. As we sipped those drinks and chatted about things in general, searching for topics we could share, she pointed out what she felt was an antique bottle opener. I looked and she was pointing to a Coca-Cola opener mounted on a board, with Coca-Cola graphics, probably a reproduction. I told her, yes that is what it is and that when I was a kid they could be found everywhere. I told her we didn't have screw top bottles back then or pull tabs. She seemed surprised by that. Really? I told her when I was little lots of people kept a "church key" handy. I explained you needed that church key to open the beer cans, the ones with a seam in the side! She said she had never seen a can like that. 

 Now being a grandfather, I do enjoy telling the stories of my youth and what it was like growing up in the "old" days. I guess on some level it gives us that superior feeling, we know things they don't. That's a basic human trait I think wanting to tell others' things we feel they don't know. I was telling her that the only time we had a fountain soda was when we went to a soda fountain. At first, she thought I meant an actual fountain that just had soda coming out! I explained about a soda fountain and what I really meant. It was quite a treat to get a fountain soda back in the day, you could ask for cherry in your coke too. I was telling her I could buy a bottle of Coke from the vending machine for ten cents and get two cents back for the deposit. She was telling me about all the deposits they can get back in New York state on bottles and cans. 

  I don't get to spend much time with Shyann. She lives in upstate New York, and I just don't make it up there as often as I should. The time I am there is usually spent with my son and his wife. Shyann, like most young people is always busy with her friends and doesn't have much time for old people. As a result, we don't really know each other very well. She has a nose ring! Well, it isn't really a ring it looks more like a horseshoe to me. But she is eighteen now, hard to believe, and it is her choice. I get it, piercings are all the rage. I suppose you can always remove that horseshoe when the style fades away. It would be easier than having a tattoo removed anyway. I don't think she has any of those, yet. My other granddaughter Morgan does have tattoos and multiple ear piercings along with a belly button piercing. Kids these days. 

  Shyann is in college these days, starting back up soon. She doesn't really know what she wants to do, not unusual at all, but says she likes philosophy. We have that in common it would seem. I wish I had more time to talk with her about philosophical things, but I suspect we wouldn't agree. In talking with her about that she told me she is aware that getting a degree in philosophy wouldn't be the wisest choice as getting a job would be difficult. At the moment she plans on getting her associates degree and deciding latter on what she might pursue. She is a quiet, soft spoken young lady and hard to read. I don't have any suggestions regarding an occupation suited to her. Morgan I could see as a schoolteacher, or some other people related occupation. 

  All in all, it was nice visit, and I was glad to spend some time with her. A granddaughter should know her grandfather. A distant grandfather especially. We do live in different worlds with different family dynamics, expectations and experiences. A different world view! It has been said we don't get to pick our relatives and that is very true. We do get to pick our friends. Being a grandfather and a friend is quite the task and requires a constant effort. I hope that Shyann does view me as a friend. A friend she can count on. Grandpa Ben.