Rick Smith/Columnist
We all need a favorite aunt.
An aunt is one of creation’s masterpieces, love and skill working in unison. Her advice is spot on, and, if need be, can be delivered in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. Most often, she is polylingual, understanding that what was once “cool” is now “sick,” and that a BFF who did an amazeballs job was the one that “ate and left no crumbs.”
An aunt tells the baddest stories, adding zest and zing to each cockamamie tale with sprinklings of traditional wisdom and old wives’ tales. Figuring out the real McCoy from the cock-and-bull story ignites the imagination and keeps us coming back for more details … and explanations.
An aunt’s anecdotes are living proof of the importance of chasing after our dreams. She shares some of the good choices she has made, as well as some really not-so-good ones.
“Ripsnorters, that’s what they are,” she adds.
An aunt knows that as we get older, we often lose sight of our dreams. She knows that fear can paralyze us and push us toward an easier, less challenging, path. She also knows that the well-intended voice of reason from familiar faces can have us second guessing our dreams. She can say things that can be heard.
You know you are her favorite because she said so. On occasion, others will say that they are her favorite. When that happens, you maintain your composure, smile, and say, “Good thing you’re pretty.” You go on about your business, leaving that individual splashing in their washbasin of deception.
We all need a favorite uncle.
An uncle is one of creation’s torchbearers, love and humility working in unison. His advice hits the mark. He’s not necessarily polylingual, but he understands that a spade is a spade in any language.
An uncle tells the baddest stories, mixing conventional wisdom with legends. And there again, the boundary between the two is sometimes blurred, making it difficult to know when he has crossed from what-actually-happened to a work of imagination. It keeps us coming back for more tales of “let me tell you about the one that got away.”
An uncle’s anecdotes are living proof that the sky is the limit when it comes to chasing after our dreams. He shares his life’s work and misadventures.
“Misadventures? Catastrophes? No, sir, they are bestsellers,” he adds.
An uncle knows that as we mature, we often lose our footing … and stray from the path. There is a tenor in his voice that vibrates into the heavenlies when he affirms, “You’ve got this. Stay the course.”
You know you are his favorite because he said so. On occasion, others will say they are his favorite. When that happens, you keep your cool, nod, and say, “Interesting. That makes about as much sense as teats on a bull.” You go on about your business, leaving those individuals to wallow in their hogwash.
We all need a favorite aunt and uncle. Perhaps the most important reason we need a favorite aunt and uncle is because aunts and uncles are firm believers in dessert.
Rick Smith is a Jeffersonian and can be reached at theriquemeister@gmail.com.