Thursday, June 26, 2014

A Few Lifetimes Ago

I've been meaning to blog about this for awhile  now.

Years and YEARS ago, like 25 years ago, I was tending bar for a living.  Not the best job I ever had, but it paid the bills.  All the loose change I got in tips during the night I wanted to keep somewhere.  I really don't remember now how I came to own the pig but I remember being so excited to have it.

There was a spot in the butt of the pig that you could break out to get the change out, then close it back up with a cork.  I remember having my Dad break it out for me and he's also the one that got me the right size cork.  Dad couldn't believe that I would have enough change in that pig to make it worth it, but I knew better!

I had the pig a few weeks and I had a car payment due.  I had Dad bust the hole out of the pig's butt, I counted and wrapped my coins and had more than enough for a car payment.  I did this every month!  Wrap enough to make the car payment, leave the rest in the pig.  Life was good back then.

The pig is kinda ugly, this big red thing with flowers on it but I loved it.

Forward a handful of years to 1995.  I was packing up my apartment and moving from Erie PA to Houston TX.  My friend Jeff came with his two boys to help with the packing of the moving van.  Either I had more crap than I thought or I just didn't get a big enough moving van!  There were a few things that just wouldn't fit into that moving van, no matter how hard we tried.

Jeff and his boys stepped up to the plate.  What didn't fit in my moving van, fit into their van and then into their garage.  Some of my stuff they were able to use, like some TV trays.  But my poor pig was put into the garage and there he sat.  Poor pig!

The last time Ruth and Jeff came to see me here in Ohio . . . they brought me my pig!!!!  What a special surprise!  It's been a lot of years we've been separated but we are now together again!


C'mon!  This pig is so ugly, he's CUTE!!!  I wasn't getting what I thought was a good picture of the pig on the floor so I put him up on my cedar chest to take a picture.  Benny I think took offense!


I love my pig and I missed him.  He's a great place to throw your change!  I also love my friends Ruth and Jeff and I miss them too.  Every time I see my pig, I now think of my friends and smile.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

That was a nice surprise! I also have a some things that are totally valuable for me because of the memories... It is your true companion, it has been waiting for you all the time! Think from now on it should be a piggybank that also means "good Luck" to you!

Unknown said...

Yes, that pig isn't worth even half of what the change inside is worth, but he's priceless to me. Ruth and Jeff and I have talked about that pig living in their garage for years. It got to be a running joke. They really surprised me when they brought him to me on their last visit! He never fails to make me smile. And that's priceless.