A Mr. Jim Story

I think that autumn will always remind me of Mr. Jim. Though he was blind, he just loved this time of year. He loved the cool, crisp days. He loved raking leaves. And, since there are piles of leaves everywhere right now, I’m thinking of him.

That buster went and died on us last year on Labor Day. We miss him, still.

He had so many hilarious stories many of which we heard multiple times over the years. But, I think that the funniest one had to do with him looking for a bus after bowling.

I know what you’re thinking here….a blind man bowling? Yes. He did. He was a member of a blind bowling league and would take the bus to various bowling alleys around town in order to participate.

On one afternoon, after leaving the bowling alley, he began to look for his bus stop with his bowling ball bag in one hand and his white cane in the other.

He fell in with a couple of ladies as he walked and they began to talk about various things. It turned out that they were headed to the same bus stop as he was. So they continued walking along together.

They were nearly to the bus stop when Mr. Jim heard a car decelerate as it was going down the street beside them. The driver yelled out, “A blind man bowling — thas somethin’ I ain’t never seen befo!”

Well, Mr. Jim took this mockery with aplomb. However, one of his female walking companions wasn’t content to be silent at this man’s ridicule.

She shouted back, at the top of her lungs, “That ain’t all YOU never seen, %$*#@% *&^%$#!!!”

Oh my goodness. I can just see him laughing about it now.