During my lifetime I was lucky enough to have had a Grandma, a Grandpa, a Nana and a “Boppa. ” When I was just a “lad” (and I hope whoever is reading this, uses Air Quotes for “lad”, because that was definitely a Boppism) I used to tell my friends that I was going to my Nana and Boppa’s house, and I would get the same response every time What is a “Boppa”? Before my time, a little girl named Kristin Sarah Percy transformed a big, brawny farmer into a “Boppa”. There were no questions asked, there were no explanations made.
One day he was Jim, Dad, Grandpa to some, the next day(PAUSE) a Boppa. A Boppa is someone who doesn’t get mad when you break a pool cue screwing around in the basement and try to hide it in the closet. A Boppa is someone who takes their time when thinking about a task at hand or asking a pertinent question, actually so much time that I used to think that our conversation was done and he would surprise me with the final question that I had long forgotten. A Boppa is a risk taker. I bet there are some of you that are thinking, that’s not a Boppa.
But is throwing the truck keys to a 4 foot 6 inch 12 year old who only recently was allowed to use the ride on mower in first gear and telling him to drive down to the barn load it up with rocks and come back, not something that a risk taker would do? A Boppa is a comedian. I was remembering a time when Boppa was telling us a story about a “lad” from a neighboring family’s farm. The story was clear and concise but as he drew near the end, he abruptly finished the story. So I waited for the Boppa pause and when there was no finish in sight said “did the “lad” ever go back to the family and take over the farm like his Pa wanted him to? And in the most Boppa, pensive way he replied with a matter of fact: (PAUSE) “no.
” I’m sure you had to be there but I tell ya there is delivery and there is delivery and that was perfect. A Boppa is a giver. He is someone who never forgot a grandchild’s birthday or graduation with a card and a normally a well needed check, nor did he ever miss a time to slip you a couple of folded twenties to ensure that you had enough money for gas or food on your way. A Boppa is an athlete. Every year, then later every-time I was home visiting, Boppa would take me to the historic links of Mont Cascade for a round of golf.
He wasn’t the best of golfers, his swing looked more like he was chopping wood than swinging a golf club and without his seeing-eye grandson he would have lost all his balls by the 3rd tee but Boppa golfed, so a Boppa is an athlete. A Boppa is a worrier. It was probably the reason why he took so long to make decisions and complete his well thought out sentences as he worried about everyone and everything. Whenever I left the farm, usually to head far and away, he would always tell me to be careful and would worry about where I was going, how I was getting there and what I was doing when I got there.
