I've mentioned it here before. I LOVE old men.
Not sugar daddies, not dirty old men. I just love old guys. There's something about them that just charms me.
And I recently figured out just where it all began.
I must have been about 7 or 8 years old. It was a long time ago. Dinosaurs roamed the earth, and we rode around in a horse-drawn buggy.
No, but seriously. I was really young, and we were at my grandparent's house. I had a cousin who lived nearby, and she and I were very close. Her name is Diane. Every time my family made the four-hour drive to my grandparents' house in North Florida, she and her family came to visit.
This particular visit, there were other relatives at my grandparents' house as well, including my mother's aunt and uncle from Arizona. My great-aunt Lillian and Uncle Harley were older, and it was my first time meeting them, since they lived so far away.
For some reason, my cousin Diane decided to make fun of Uncle Harley. Granted, he did look 'different'. Being from Arizona, he was dressed Western-style. He had on a long-sleeved shirt with pearl buttons, cowboy boots, and a bolo tie.
We were just kids, and she was just being a brat. But she snickered behind his back, and ridiculed him.
Now, I wasn't bold enough to confront her and tell her to stop. I just stayed very quiet, upset with her but too scared to say anything. She was a couple of years older than me so she was clearly the leader of our little duo.
But finally, I had enough. I got up and walked away from Diane....and straight to Uncle Harley. Even though he had no idea that Diane was mocking him, I felt like I needed to make it up to him. I said the first thing that came to my mind: "I like your tie."
We were immediately friends. He told me all about his bolo tie, which had a real scorpion encased in resin. For the rest of the visit, we stuck together like glue. I have no idea what we talked about, but we talked each others' ears off.
And about two weeks after we returned home, I got a package in the mail from Uncle Harley. All the way from Arizona!
Enclosed was a beautiful gold necklace with a heart charm.
And this beautiful bolo tie.
Uncle Harley has long since passed away. Sadly, I lost the necklace at school many years ago. But I've kept that bolo tie for all these years. Every time I see it, I'm reminded of that day with Uncle Harley.
And the reason why I love old guys.
(as you can see, the metal end pieces are long gone. Anyone know how to get an old bolo tie refurbished? I want to frame it..... =)
