You could have never told me that my cousin, Jr. Boy , would grow up to be a preacher. However, there were many signs of the possibility as far back as I can remember.
He was smart and articulate--so he would never be dull in the pulpit.
He could scream and shout with the best of them--so he would always have a voice.
He was very self-assured--so he would make a good leader...
BUT...
he was NEVER humble...LOL.
His father was, and even though HE never possessed those traits mentioned above that his son had, he taught all of us the best lesson--A GOOD HONEST MAN CAN SLEEP AT NIGHT.A lesson we all learned, especially Jr. Boy, by watching.
Uncle Solmo, as I called him,never told us some fable from a book, nor did he compare himself to anyone as an example, nor was he likely to pass judgement on anyone...and we learned from him, merely by observation. I guess, technically, he was the closest man in my life to a father figure.
I loved spending the night at their house. It was so very normal. My Aunt Em cooked and was always redecorating or renovating (still does the same thing to this day), Jr. Boy had books, records (yes, folks--good ol' 45s) and toys that I didn't, and Solmo was a working man. Dinner was ready when he got home, he controlled the TV until bedtime, and we had to be quiet because "he worked".
Anyway, I have always thought that I knew at least 2 people, other than my granny, that would make it to Heaven...my Uncle Donnie, a preacher from Tennessee...and my Uncle Solmo, a teacher from the heart--a man who taught me the best lesson ever: Lead by example.
I fall short in so many ways, but I try...and if, I'm sorry--when I fail, I get up and start all over...day after day, because maybe someone is learning from me the way I quietly learned from Uncle Solmo. God grant me the strength to prevail.
CBB
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