GO. FOLLOW. LEAD.

My grandfather is the smartest man that I know.  He graduated from Tulane University at the age of 19 and completed his doctorate in chemistry at the age of 23.  If you ask him, he will give you an answer along the lines of being lucky, or in the right place at the right time, or that he had nothing else to do. But the truth is, my grandfather has lived exactly the life he was meant to live. He married the love of his life whose gentleness and compassion complimented his directness and scientific approach to life. He and Grammy birthed five children who each grew into brilliance in their own right through occupations and families of their own. These 5 children led to 19 grandchildren. Those 19 individuals are here now to share with you our favorite Grampy moments and memories. Our Grammy will be included in many of them just as she is included in our everyday lives.  My favorite Grampy story is below to kick off this storybook. We hope you enjoy our memories as much as we do. 

As I said earlier, my grandfather is the smartest man I know. A lifelong chemist, he penned a book entitled the Ionic Compounds of Lead. It does exist. I've seen a copy but have not read it. That would have been pointless. I speak of my grandfather's intelligence to set the stage for this story.  Technology, as many of us know, comes with several advantages and challenges. There is always a new phone, gadget, or software to buy or download or post. And because my grandparents are social butterflies, travelers, and the leaders of 26 person family, they ventured into the world of cell phones and data plans. Their children take care of the logistic but Grampy is a self and niece taught cell phone user. I'm happy to say he texts with the same sarcasm in which he speaks. One evening, my grandparents were preparing for an event at Grampy's former employer. As they were getting dressed Grampy slipped the cell phone into his shirt pocket and off they went. It was a pleasant evening filled with old colleagues and entertainment. During one conversation, a friend asked Grampy the type of cell phone he was using and when Grampy reached for his out of his pocket, he pulled it out only to find his cell phone was indeed his television remote control. 

The moral of the story is...intelligence will get you far in life but your remote control can't make phone calls.