Papaw and His Harmonica

Papaw has many talents that he used to enjoy in his younger life. He loves to tell his stories about when he played industrial league baseball as a pitcher, first baseman and sometimes as center fielder. I remember growing up and watching baseball on TV with Dad. I think that is why I love the game today. I learned so much from Dad about the game. He didn't really have a favorite team back then. He just enjoyed watching the game that he no longer could play. The Braves became his favorite team once he could watch them on cable television. America's Team! Unfortunately, Dad lost his vision and for many years now, he has not been able to see a baseball game on TV. He tried to listen to the announcers, but they didn't share every detail of the game. It was hard for him to know what had happened. We got him a radio and tuned it to a station that usually announced the Braves games in the afternoon or at night. But it just wasn't the same for Dad. While staying with Mom and Dad the past three weeks, he has gotten interested in the World Series play-off games as I have watched them. As we watched, I tried to share with him who was playing and other things happening during the game. Dad hasn't lasted through a whole game yet, which means that my ability for announcing is really lacking! Actually, he just gets so tired and has to retire for the night.

Dad has always loved music. When younger, he would play a guitar with other guys in a group. He also loved playing a 'mouth harp' as he calls it. Today, we call it a harmonica. Several years ago, I bought Dad a harmonica for Christmas. It made all of us so happy to see how much enjoyment he got from playing. We were also so surprised at how well he could play and how many songs he knew. A few years later, I bought him a better quality harmonica that he still plays today. Below, I have videoed Dad playing a few songs. I don't know how he has the wind for it due to his COPD and lung cancer. At times you will see that he struggles with breathing a little. But for a 90 year old man who has health issues, I'm so proud of how well he does play. Most of all, I'm thankful for the pleasure that it gives him to play.

Papaw loves his harmonica and loves to entertain with it...along with his many jokes that some of us have heard more than one time! :-) During the video, note that I have a shot of his foot pumping the beat!