Richard Reurink: A Brief Analysis

The fall breeze blew through the room giving way to the aroma of fresh baked cookies. He sat in his beloved recliner that has slowly faded with much use and time, changing its shade from black to grey now. His days of working in the sun on hot, steel roofs has left him with a permanent tan. You can see the the laugh lines prominently around his mouth and eyes whenever he looks at you. My grandfather, Richard Reurink, sits telling stories of his childhood,when he was about my age, and how society has changed since he was young.
Born in the early 1940’s, my Grandpa grew up in a household of 4 other siblings. He grew up in Wayland, Michigan, having many very interesting memories. One time he was hit by a car. With his hands flying he explained, “ It knocked me so hard my shoes flew right off my feet.” he then stayed in the hospital for 3 weeks due to a severe concussion. During this time, he completely lost his ability to read. He says he never thought reading or writing was very important until this accident. Another memory he remembers was one day he came home from school and his family had been gone all day and the bus pulls up to his drive and right as it stops, he sees his house collapse. There had been a fire and the fire department hadn't gotten there in time. At that moment he realized that life isn’t about what you have, it’s about the friends

and family you have along the way. He learned this at a very young age.
He said that when he was growing up, compared to today, he never had a T.V.

He said that his family never had enough money to to buy one and it was never needed. Also in his eyes, technology has made astounding leaps since his childhood. The cell phones to the internet have all changed the world more significantly than anyone even realizes. He also said prices have all gone up significantly since he was a child. “ I remember when I could go to the store and get a candy bar for five cents. It was a huge deal when they even went up to ten cents. The price was double what it used to be. Now they are a dollar to get

one!”
He joined the National Guard when the draft began because he was afraid that he would be sent overseas. He was a cook there and made food for the men. During this time, he began dating dating my grandmother. She had sent letters to him when he was away because her family told her he was homesick. When he came back they were soon married and had children, 2 sons and one daughter. He then began a roofing business. He did this his whole life and his sons followed suit in the career. He said, “ Working with family can be both the best and the worst job, it's great to bond but they also don’t always get along the best.” He did this til just a few years ago when he just didn’t feel safe going up on the roofs anymore. Since then he just enjoys life as it comes to him.
When I asked if there is anything that he would change about his life he responded, “What has got me thru life was the fact that I was never terrible at anything but I was never great at anything either, and that's what has made me who I am today. I wouldn’t change a thing.” This is what he loves about life and allows him to be happy with where he is today, no matter what others may think.