Hair Depots and Tulip Bulbs

“Luckily it was sunny outside so I could follow the lines.” “Way to go Melvin, you did a great job!” I say kind of unsurely. Melvin is a funny neighbor who has lead me on many adventures, and has taught me many lessons.

Melvin is a great guy who can make you laugh just by acting fairly normal. He wears a funny hat that is like one of those Swedish looking ones from the 80’s (it looks really cool), he loves to wear it rain or shine, and it’s kind of his trademark. He loves to wear jumpsuits that range from red to blue to gray. Those combined with his hat make him look pretty spiffy. You can always see him wearing them when he does his yard work though he normally does it when it is sunny outside so he can see to mow or weed. It’s kind of like when you start thinking to yourself in dialog. And you say; Melvin, one of the coolest people in my life, is probably one of the funniest. And the language he tends to use can make you laugh also; because it seems that a lot of the time he knows what he wants to say and expresses it in a way that only people who have known him for a long time can understand. Like when he says “Momma” you have to know that he is talking about his wife; or when he says “The Hair Depot” you know that his wife is getting her hair done. Another one he loves to use is “Don’t mind if I do!” But some of the adventures he has sent me on are almost as funny.

Over the span of my life Melvin has sent my family and me on many adventures. He has told my mom literally how to get from one end of Utah to the other. She is always saying, “Well this is what Melvin told us to do!” And the directions are always precise and accurate. Quite a few times we’ve gone to Southern Utah to go to the National Parks and have been side tracked by the awesome places Melvin has told us about. Like when we go rock hunting, we get to the place and if the rock isn’t really abundant we have to pull out a piece of paper with Melvin’s description of the rock. Many of these adventures have taught me lessons, although some closer to home.

Some of the lessons I have learned from Melvin are rarely seen in youth today. One year Melvin and I had to help his wife plant over 1,000 tulip bulbs. This, and other occasions have taught me much about gardening. Also patience, some times where solutions are obvious Melvin needs to consult with his wife, and it is always easier for him to make up his mind then to fight it. When doing things that might no normally be appealing Melvin always seems to brighten up situations. Whether it’s decorating for Christmas, or weeding the gardens, it is always more fun to do it with Melvin than anyone else. All these lessons and many more have proved useful in my life.

All in all Melvin has taught me a great deal, through some of his adventures to his odd humor. He is one that you would rarely see in the world anymore, he is one that is full of knowledge and shares it non stop. It kind of makes me wish we all had someone like Melvin in our lives.

So let me know if any of you guys have someone like this in your lives.