Such weather tends to lead me to observe and think. That is one of the vagaries of being a behavioral psychologist.
Today, as we were having a visit and lunch with Jim and Ann Knipe, and their daughter and son-in-law Cheryl and Joe Brinson and their granddaughter 7-month old Chloe, she will turn 8-months old Monday the 26th I was reminded of something that my Grandfather Gunther always told me.
“You can always tell the true heart and character of a person by the way they treat children, dogs and their elders,” he would say.
And that came back to me this day.
You see Joe Brinson used to be a crane operator on the docks of Savannah and years ago became disabled. Now, this Kenny Rogers or Santa Claus “look alike” – depends on the time of the year I suppose when you look at him – would never strike you on first appearance as having the heart of a teddy bear.
You see Joe is just like me. He has never met a meal he didn’t like especially if it had fried shrimp, mashed potatoes, black-eyed peas and corn bread associated with it. He is one of those strapping Southern boys that frankly I would not want to contend with around the truck.
Now we might argue over whose Momma cooked the better corn bread mind you; and we might have some discussion around politicians and how we believe they are all as worthless as “teats on a boar hog” but I doubt that I would want to arm wrestle him.
I quite suspect that we both feel our Mommas were and are saints. And we both knew our Mommas liked Butterfinger miniatures candy bars and could most of the time do no wrong. That is just how us Southern boys are and we are proud of it.
However, it was watching Joe today interact with his granddaughter Chloe that made me wonder if the advice my grandfather gave me all those years ago was what led me to study behavioral psychology in the first place.
Because you see that advice when observed in people has always proven to be right on the money – you can indeed tell the true nature and character of a person’s heart by their interactions with children, dogs and their elders.
You see Chloe is a special grandchild. Oh, I know everybody has “special” grandchildren and surely if you could have had grand kids before you had your children you would have skipped right over to the grandbabies.
However, Chloe truly is special. She was born with a heart defect that will one day have to be repaired but right now it is being controlled with medications. And if there was ever a grandfather who focused time and attention to ensuring that a granddaughter had special attention, love, compassion and care Joe Brinson personifies it.
Before Chloe was born and while his Momma was in the nursing home in her final decline it was Joe Brinson that took it upon himself to get donuts and bring them to the residents and serve them coffee. It was Joe Brinson that to this day despite the fact that his Momma has passed takes time to go by that nursing home to visit.
You see my friends; Joe Brinson is just a good ole Southern boy with this magnificent heart of gold. Now, he would never show you that yet just as my grandfather always said, “watch how he is with children, dogs and his elders” and you will know his true character.
Until next time.
Dr. Darryl
L. Darryl Armstrong
www.ARMSTRONGandAssociates.org
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