Joy O, as he was lovingly called, was and is very interested in living life to the fullest possible. That included a little work, a lot of play, much interaction with others. Joy loved to talk with friends, particularly if he could hear everything that went on. After being deaf for 15+ years, he had one of the first magnetic/electronic implants to his right cochlear, which is the small, spiral shaped organ inside our heads that turns sound waves into electronic impulses so we can hear. Suddenly, after years of silence and withdrawal, Joy could hear again and our father returned to us.
JoyBoy, another loving term our dear mother, Alberta ("Bert" or "Berta"), called him, loved to play with his children and grandchildren, albeit for shorter periods of time as he got older. He would play around with the little ones, letting them crawl over him and as they got older would often have them stand on his hands and balance as he pushed them up into the air. After a good play and talk, perhaps planning a tennis or golf game, he would often just saunter off and disappear, silently leaving us to wonder where and when he had gone, an unfortunate propensity he developed during the years of deafness.
Joy was a competitor, especially when he knew he had a real chance at winning. All too often, unfortunately, some of the fun was lost when others wanted to just play and Dad wanted to WIN. However, his competetive spirit sure came in handy in the 2009 Yuma Senior Games. He either placed or won in every event he entered, winning more gold medals in one day than many competitors win in a lifetime. He even tried the javelin and discus for the first time in his life and at age 83 (I think) practiced enough to gain the skill to win a medal in those sports, too. What a sportsman; what a competitor; what a winner; what a guy! (Sorry, ladies. It's a guy thing.)
Cowboy poetry was one of Joy's loves. Actually, it was performing and entertaining that Joy loved and he would often successfully "wow" his family and friends with a funny or tender poem, rendered with passion and great facial expressions and perfect timing. It is well known among the family that we could often count on Dad/Grandpa for some good and well-seasoned "Ham". We all loved him a little more for that.
We have been privileged to witness some of those wonderful poems and cowboy poetry...he was a master at making it come to life. as his wonderful memory and mind put the words out of his mouth, as "second nature" you him.
ReplyDeleteWe still eat better because of Joy...he wanted "good" oatmeal...not the cardboard stuff without any nutrients !! Smile !! We think of him everytime we eat our oatmeal!
He was always game for a good activity and even went riding with Gary on horses in the mountains.
We loved to have Joy and Bert come to visit. They made life more fun and interesting. When we were walking, we had to run to keep up with both of them !!
We love you both and may the Lord's choices
blessing be with you Bert.
Love, Gary and Elayne Sorensen and Family