Bob Had a Birthday
He’s My Dad so I’m Going to Write About Him!
By Jason Jones
Messenger Reporter
GRAPELAND – “O Brother, Where Art Thou” was a great movie. It became a staple at our house 11 or 12 years ago when my then preteen son discovered it. We all watched it regularly, but eventually it became our soundtrack of choice when we needed a little white noise in the background.
At one point in the movie – not to give away the storyline or ending – two of the main characters realized that they may go back to prison, albeit with an extra 50 years tacked onto their sentences.
John Turturro’s character, Pete, laments the fact that when he gets out, he will be 84 years old. The ever-optimistic Delmar, played by Tim Blake Nelson, replied with a sense of happiness; “Well I’ll only be 82!”
My dad turned 82 on Monday, and I can’t help but think he reached said milestone with anything less than a sense of optimism that matches Delmar’s.
Yes, I’m writing a column about my dad. I’m doing it in lieu of a tie or some more socks.
Many of you know Bob Jones. He’s been a longtime member of the Grapeland Noon Lions Club, serving in several different capacities. In years past he has also been on the Grapeland City Council, the Grapeland Community Council and is also a longtime deacon at Grapeland Missionary Church.
Most days you can find him in his office on the corner of Main and Locust. He and my mom own Arjay Aerospace. They find the correct nuts and bolts needed by aircraft manufacturers and fill their orders. It’s a little more complicated than that, but it’s about as good as I can explain it.
The business seems to have settled into a comfortable, albeit precarious, groove. It operates at a manageable pace; much more would be nice for the bottom line, but difficult to handle, so they are thankful for how things are going. A drop in business might facilitate retirement. It sounds good on paper, but Bob’s not a retirement sort of guy. Waking up with a sense of purpose matters to him. A marathon of old westerns and detective shows don’t really have a lot of purpose, so he keeps on rolling.
Naturally, I have thousands of stories I could tell. I could embarrass him. I could embarrass myself. I could probably embarrass both of us. I’ll refrain from that line of thought. In the end, everything’s going to revolve around his ability to bring a smile to whoever’s path he crosses. I think I can approach that from a more positive direction.
Bob Jones is the guy with a joke at the ready. He’s the guy who is ready to lend a hand or to volunteer. As a dad, he was, and still is, so good at it that I’ve had to share him with most of the community. He is “Dad” to a lot of people. He greets everyone with a hug. He won’t leave without making sure you know how much he loves you. He’s just that kind of guy.
Today our father-and-son routine, when we need a reason to get out of the house, consists of a ride on the backroads in his old truck. For me it’s sort of a history lesson mixed with an improvisational stand-up routine. It’s always a memorable occasion.
My mom has a photo. I think it’s my favorite photo that’s ever existed. It’s Mom & Dad at their wedding shower with Dad’s best friend Harry Moore and his wife Shirley. Mom and Shirley are sitting between Dad and Harry, and they are laughing uncontrollably. Dad’s head is barely visible because Mom is doubled over with the kind of gut pain that comes from an absolutely memorable laugh. I truly believe that no funnier duo ever existed than Bob and Harry. It was hard to focus on anything else when the two of them were together.
Harry lost his battle with cancer almost 20 years ago and he left a huge void, but Bob carries on. The one-liners still flow at a reasonably rapid pace. If Mom gets a little snippy, he will usually reply with something like “You’d better watch it or I’m gonna push you down.” And if you truly need a moment to remember, request his rendition of “Give My Shoes to Cousin Helen.” It lends a lot of validity to the fact that he has been known to enter any random room and proclaim “Hello… I’m Johnny Cash.”
Maybe that could be his new sense of purpose should he ever choose to retire. The world probably needs someone to just show up and make people laugh and smile.
Happy Birthday Dad. I love you and I hope the coming year is perfect for you.
Jason Jones may be reached via email at [email protected]
