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Trilogy Performance Coaching |
| Your Body & Mind Excel When Your Spirit Runs Free! | |
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The Popeye ClubBy Dessie A. LeffMy dad was a child during The Depression in the 1930s. As you know, commodities were scarce in those days. To actually get a shirt and pants that were purchased at a store was a rarity. My dad remembers how excited he was as a boy when he actually got a brand-new pair of pants and a shirt from a store. He still remembers how he felt like such a "big shot" in those new clothes! My father and his sister were further affected by adversity when they lost their mother to asthma. My dad was six, and his sister was three. Grandma Dessie left behind two children and a husband. (Yes, I am named after my grandmother.) I don't think their family ever fully recovered from this loss. You see, Grandpa John lost the "love of his life." I suppose he was also scared at the prospect of raising two children by himself in such trying times. My grandfather didn't cope well and turned to alcohol for comfort. Unfortunately, my dad was a target for grandpa's drunken rages. As a result of their fear and sense of loss, my dad and aunt clung to each other for comfort. One of the bright spots in their life was the ability to go to The Popeye Club every Saturday morning. It cost 10 cents to get into the club, so they felt very lucky to be able to go! As they entered they were given a piece of paper with a number on it. If you were lucky enough, they might call your number during the show, and you could go down to the front of the theater to pick a prize from one of the tables. You can imagine the excitement that would build as they clung to their numbers each week and waited for them to be called out! Most weeks my dad and aunt walked away disappointed that their number had not been called. However, one week was different. One Saturday my dad almost burst with excitement when they called his number. He was thrilled, and for a brief moment he imagined what it would feel like to pick his prize! Just then he looked down at his sister and her disappointment wounded him like a knife slicing through his heart. He reached down and said, "Here Sonya, you go pick a prize." Sonya was delighted and scampered down to the front of the theater! Dad says he can still remember her little blonde head going from table to table trying to pick exactly the right prize. Dad says he doesn't even remember what she chose. However, my dad is the one who really got the prize. The memory of that day still warms his heart! |
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