Another person that has impacted my life a lot has been my grandpa. He is one of the greatest people I have ever met in my life. We do not always see eye to eye, but I respect him more than any other person. He is fair and good. I want to share the things that he has been through, way he has changed, and the parts he could use some improvement on. Whether I agree with him or not I have learned things that I believe other people would benefit learning about too.
The first time that I really appreciated my grandpa was when I was about eight years old and he suffered a heart attack. That was the moment that I realized that this guy is getting older and he won’t be around forever. After I realized how my life would be different without him, I think I started to do more for him. I would go cut his grass when he needed it and help him out in any way that I could because I never want to look back and regret anything.
My grandpa has always been really old-school and tough. He was hard on my mom when she was growing up. We always laugh because I brough out the soft side of this tough guy. He is someone that I can always talk to and I love to spend time with him. He is actually pretty funny too or at least he can get a little goofy when I’m around. I think that it is so cool that he learned how to loosen up. For example, he taught me how to drive and normally he is the guy that would get all worked up, but we laughed and had such a fun time together.
Now, there is a part of him that is still really old-school and that I do not agree with. He is a little bit on the racist side. That really bothers me especially because I am someone who grew up in the generation that I did. I was raised that we are all equal and that is not something he totally agrees with. I wish he would change. He also thinks that swearing and not praying everyday is bad and I don’t agree with all that either.
I guess the lessons that I learned and the lessons that I was people reading this to take from this is that you can’t change people. People are still good people even if their views don’t line up with yours. If even If someone is wrong, you have to respect them because if you don’t then you’ll be just as bad as them. People that are stuck in their ways don’t open their minds or hearts to other people’s beliefs, but you have to just know yourself. Sometimes it is easier not to yell and fight, but to be the bigger person.