Interviewer’s Note

This man has the most remarkable life story of anyone I’ve had the honor of writing a legacy letter for so far. You name it, he’s probably done it. He is a natural storyteller–I couldn’t stop smiling through my mask because he always knew what to say next, and I could hardly keep up with my note-taking! With this man, a 90-minute conversation feels like a quarter hour. It’s very rare you meet someone in life who gracefully owns up to their past mistakes, and even rarer to see someone emerge from them a content and deeply grateful human being.

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Jack of All Trades

To the reader,

If my life was a book, it’d be a bestseller. That’s for sure. The prologue would be me riding the bicycle back down to my house. Then I would take my sister’s old skates from the garage and attach the wheels to a 2×4. My very own skateboard, a figment of my imagination turned into reality. I invented skateboards before skateboards were a thing!

That’s my life. A jack of all trades. I’ve always been good with my hands. Once I tied a balloon to my bike so that it hit against the spokes when I rode on it. It made my bike sound like a motorcycle.

Everyone in my neighborhood was skilled at something. And most importantly, we helped each other. That’s why, as a child, I learned to shine shoes, lay brick, paint houses, and even repair TVs. When I was around 11, I fixed my parents’ TV and surprised them when they got home. That TV still works today.

The Right Kind of Upbringing

I’ve lived here in Baltimore my whole life. Born and raised. Back then, life was much simpler, much safer. There was trust. Trust that we could leave the door unlocked in case a neighbor needed something. Trust that we could safely own guns without some maniac bringing ‘em to school.

I grew up in a family of 15. It was my mother, father, and 8 girls and 5 boys. We almost always got along, which you don’t expect for 13 siblings. If we were ever mad at each other, we were taught to make up. My parents taught us to love everybody, treat everybody right, and most of all, help somebody in need. Share. My mother would give food to any kid on the block who needed it. My father was a barber, so we would cut their hair for free too.

I learned discipline. Kids don’t have enough of it these days. They don’t respect their parents enough. When I was a teenager, I would mow every single lawn all the way down the block, for free. After all, if the neighbor’s lawn looked good, it made ours look good. Every day all the neighborhood kids would clean the trash on the block to make the garbage man’s life easier. Since I was 12, I even took home my neighbors’ groceries. That gave me enough lunch money for school.

My Dream Career

After college, I worked as a police officer until the strike in the late 60’s/early 70’s. That’s when I opened my own auto garage, where I worked on cars for the next 40 years. That was really the best part of my life. Fixing something that’s broken and being around people every day. Working on cars got me my own dream ride, a 1969 Roadrunner.

Each Generation Better than the Last

The happiest days of my life were when my son and daughter were born. My son has my name. He works for the government in Pennsylvania. My daughter is a traveling nurse. Both of them drive a Tesla. I am so proud of them and my five grandkids. As I raised them, I kept telling them, “be better than me,” and boy are they better than me! That’s what parenting’s all about – kids learn from their parents’ mistakes, and every generation becomes better than the last.

Health Challenges

In 2009, I had a stroke and ended up here in a care facility. I don’t like it here, but at least I get my own room. They put a trach in me so I could breathe, and I had to eat through a hole in my stomach. I hated it so much that I pulled it out of my neck and threw it across the room. Don’t do what I did. One day, I got so fed up with this place that I rolled all the way down to the farmer’s store in my wheelchair. I ended up in a ditch with one wheel detached. Again, don’t be like me.

Nowadays, life can get pretty depressing in here. A close friend of mine upstairs who I’ve known since I got here passed away just yesterday. But I stay happy with my TV and lots and lots of sleep.

Looking Forward

My life’s been ridiculous and marvelous – I had a good time! I’m grateful I’m still alive despite everything I’ve been through. Thanks to God, I know something good will happen to me when I’m finished. Now, I get to live through my children and grandchildren.

My advice to whoever may be reading this—

Always put yourself first. My biggest regret is not taking my medicine or listening to my doctor because tomorrow ain’t promised. There was one time I discharged myself from the hospital because I promised my friend I’d fix his car that day. I should’ve prioritized my own life over my work.

Be a leader. Don’t be a follower. I never drank, never smoked, because I knew not to follow the crowd.

Finally, always ask, “What?” and “Why?” If you don’t understand something, ask about it. You’ll never improve at anything if you’re afraid to ask questions. That’s how I got so good at the auto business. I didn’t need school or training. I learned how to work on cars by watching my neighbor and asking how everything worked. Commit yourself to a life of learning.

Thank you for listening to my story,

Anonymous