Have you ever listened to an old person yarn on, and been surprised at the fact that the tembly old person you were only really paying half your attention to is actually a goldmine of interesting stories?

I ask this because I am currently copy typing a fifty handwritten page story from my manager's father-in-law, detailing his early life in the North of England and his World War Two experiences, and it's the best thing I've read for a long time.

Do your grandparents have any good stories they'd like to send me?

-- Anonymous, July 14, 1999

Answers

When i was younger my great grand uncle used to tell me stories about Poland while we picked strawberries in his garden out back. I remember being five and thinking, "I just have to listen for another hour and then I get to eat Strawberries and drink Shirley Temples."

He died when I was in high school. Now, I wish I could remember his stories. I do miss him.

-- Anonymous, July 14, 1999

Oh, the insensitivity of youth.

My Crazy grandmother (as opposed to my Sane grandmother) used to tell us long and rambling stories about life during the war, but would usually forget to include a salient point - like the fact that it was blackout conditions at the time.

Crazy Gran did tell me a sweet story once about the first time she went out with Grandad. He took her to a hotel (not for slap and tickle; she wasn't that kind of girl) by the sea for a drink, and kept bribing the barman to up the lager level in her shandies.

-- Anonymous, July 14, 1999

I've always liked to hear old people's stories. There was an old Scottish lady, the grandmother of some friends of the family, who used to tell me stories while we sat on her "davenport" and drank tea out of china cups. (She had a red velvet Victorian style sofa, and I've wanted one ever since.) She told about coming to America on a ship when she was a little girl, and about working at the post office. She told the same story over and over, about the time someone stole the star from the post office Christmas tree. I didn't find out until later that she had Alzheimers, which is why she always told the same stories.

My gram, on the other hand, never tells the same story twice -- something new and exciting happens every time! (Runs in the family, you know.)

My dad now officially qualifies as an old guy, so I've started listening to his stories instead of tuning them out. His get better each time, as well.

-- Anonymous, July 14, 1999

My crazy grandmother used to tell us all sorts of tall tales about our family, so we never really believed any of the stories she told. One was that my great-great-grandfather, Jack Abernathy, caught wolves alive using just a pair of thick leather gloves. He became sort of famous for this, which led him to meet Teddy Roosevelt and take him on a wolf-hunt. He also had two kids (one being my great-grandfather) who rode on horseback from Oklahoma to Philadelphia at the ages of 8 and 11. Then they were given a car by a company as a promotional stunt (this was before there were laws governing driver's licenses), and drove that back to Oklahoma. Of course all of this was written off as more of grandma's fantasy, despite my mom's assertions that at least some of it was based in truth.

Then a few years ago I found my great-great-grandfather's autobiography in a pile of books my mother had--"Catch 'em Alive Jack". I'll be damned if everything grandma said wasn't in there, including the part about him living in a piano crate when he first settled in Oklahoma (you had to have a "house" in order to claim land). There were even pictures to document everything.

Unfortunately, it's a one of a kind, so I'd be a little apprehensive about sending it to you, Jackie. I'd be happy to transcribe some of the stories if you're interested, however.

-- Anonymous, July 15, 1999

I guess I'm lucky-- my gramma (my mom's side) rocks. She's eighty, or in her eighties, and she still teaches swimming classes for little kids at the local pool, and water aerobics classes for senior citizens later on in the day. And all of the stories she tells are humiliating ones about my uncles.

-- Anonymous, July 15, 1999

Andy....

I live in Oklahoma and work in the school system here....anything you have regarding OK that I could possibly share with my students or co workers would be greatly appreciated....especially something as interesting as what you described. thanks!

-- Anonymous, July 15, 1999

Both sets of my grandparents live over 1500 miles away from me on the West Coast, so I don't get to talk to them as often as I would like. I've always been very close with my Grandmother (I call her Nana) and she likes to tell me stories about my family. Lately, my mother has been filling me in on information about my family; I just recently learned that my great Grandfather had mob ties, who woulda thought!? My boyfriend's parents are pretty old and his mom likes to prattle on and on, but I listen to her and act interested because I do it out of respect. I might be bored as hell, but I know it makes her happy that I take the time to sit down and talk with her for a few hours. Sometimes she tells me some really neat stories about their family too. I love learning new things about people. My great Grandmother (my Grandfather's mother) was a Contessa from Spain and brought the Family Shield over with her to the States, we still have it. I love listening to my grandparents tell me about my lineage and where I come from, it's really interesting. I think more people should have respect for their elders. People seem to have forgotten about being nice and polite, our elders haven't.

-- Anonymous, July 15, 1999

No. They're all senile.

-- Anonymous, August 03, 1999

Most old people have wonderful stories. My grandpa was always good at that. Kind, tolerant, and took time for the kids. I talk to a lot of the old ladies at the church for advice and stories.

My grandmother on the other hand, whom I'm living with, drives me insane. She is very set in her ways, an unbelievable gossip and very narrowminded. I get sick of hearing about how she doesn't see how Radiohead "think they can get away with producing such garbage" and not being allowed to say "crap", an essential part of my vocabulary. I have to try to ignore her homophobia. Sometimes I can't handle it and I do say things like "I don't consider it necessary to mind other people's business". I know I shouldn't, but frustration gets me. She doesn't see how she does.

Old people. Senile or Interesting- depends on the person.

-- Anonymous, August 07, 1999

I would agree that it sortta depends but...

I work at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Everyday I give tours of the U505 a German U-boat captured by the U.S. Navy in WWII. There isn't a week, and sometimes a day (especially in the summer) when a chronologically advanced individual comes through that either

1.) Doesn't have something interesting to add

2.) Does not display more interest in the exhibit and what I am trying to convey in my presentation than the rest of the visitors

3.) Behave more politely and considerately than the vast majority of t-shirt clad, gum-popping, distended belly displaying, un-washed mouth breathers that seem to go out of their way to ask questions which have already been answered or which have thunderingly obvious answers.

"Is this a German submarine?" No, you walking carrot, we only display a flag with a swastika on special occasions.

I would gladly give tours to the elderly all day for six years than to have to endure another group of disintersted teens or bored parents or loud and sugar-addled children.

Sorry for the rant if it's inappropriate.

-- Anonymous, August 08, 1999