When I was a kid, I thought I was so special to have two grandfathers who went by initials, one of which was the same.  My maternal granddaddy goes by P.H. and my paternal granddaddy was known as W.H. I still think it’s a lil special. 🙂

Sunday, before church, I walked a couple of doors down to sit with my granddaddy P.H., but sitting was not in the plan.  Not at first anyway.  He had embarked on a search for walnuts.  Now, this was notable to me because I have lived on that street for years and years and never knew we had walnut trees.  Since I was small, I have collected pecans, shelled them by pressing two in my hand, eating them as I picked them up off the ground, and I’ve shelled them the “proper” way so that they’d be nice and pretty for a pecan pie.  But I had no clue there was a walnut tree anywhere around there.

I don’t like walnuts, by the way. lol They’re too sweet or something.  And after my experience with them Sunday, they’re too much work!  Anywho, so after picking walnuts with my granddaddy, we set off to find somewhere to hammer them open without the wind blowing.  We tried a couple of places, but neither worked.  He finally went into his shed and beat them open. (Those things are really just too much work!  I liken them to crawfish or crab legs–too much work for a little bit of reward!)

While he was forcing those things open, I went in the house and realized that as much as I went over there as a child, I never paid attention to the bookshelf.  I looked at pictures I’ve seen thousands of times and at pictures I had never seen before.  Then I admired the history books (history of MS, history of slavery, world books, etc.).  While browsing, I noticed a Marriage Manual and a Marriage textbook.  Books can teach you so much. Open and closed.  Before even opening the book, I was reflecting on the fact that there was a time that marriage was so important that there was a textbook dedicated to it.  It had reasons to get married, things to consider about singlehood, the responsibilities to expect from each partner in the marriage, a little sexual education, how to deal with various situations, etc.  I didn’t take it with me for close inspection, but it really made me go hmm.

After my granddaddy was done breaking all of the collected walnuts open, we went next door and sat at the kitchen table and got out the itty bitty pieces of nuts.  We talked as we shelled.  He still can’t believe I’m unmarried.  I finally learned why his kids and my grandma went to a different church than he did. (I always thought it was a bit strange that there were two family churches even though I never questioned it.)  He asked me when I’m coming back.  He was happy that I’m finally out of school and am working. lol

I’m sure I won’t be eating walnuts anymore than I ever did, but I appreciate our little adventure.  And I appreciate the things my adult eyes and ears learn although those things were probably always there.  I’ll be looking forward to my next visit home.