My grandfather, John Homa, passed into eternal just a few weeks shy of his 100th birthday. Over the past two years, I had the immense blessing to spend time with him. During one of my many visits to see him, he and I talked for almost two hours, covering everything from his greatest fear to his happiest memory to his favorite vacation spot to his advice to me in my marriage to his favorite sport...
I asked him so many questions that towards the end of our conversation I thanked him for talking so much to me and I apologized for grilling him with so many questions.
He chuckled before responding, "John Homa's Life by Mike."
I told him that it would be the book on how to live until 99 and 11/12 and be happy and healthy.
Those of us on the earlier side of 99 years of age could learn a few lessons from someone who:
- survived the Great Depression
- served in the Army during World War II
- worked the same job - a railroad engineer - for 35 years, rising out of poverty and retiring at the age of 55 with great financial stability
- remained married to the same woman for 56 years, faithfully caring for her throughout the final two years of her life
- traveled across the continental United States
- circumnavigated the globe, beginning and ending his life's journey in Berea, Ohio.
For a kid whose widowed mother asked him to go into the neighbor's farm to pick up potatoes that had been unfit for harvest just so his family could eat, working on the railroad afforded my Grandpa a ticket to a new life. Even his signature on cards bore the sign of the railroad: underneath his name he always included "xoxo."
So, as a way to celebrate the life of my grandfather, John Homa, I invite us to board the train of his life and learn three lessons so that we, too, might travel as far as he did on this earth.
- Stay on track. Trains can't deviate from their tracks and my Grandpa didn't either. He was a creature of habit and his routines ruled supreme. But, he didn't just stay on track. He stayed on the right tracks:
- Keep moving: Upon his retirement, he would play golf every day. He did this until my Grandma needed extra care and moved into a nursing home. From that moment on, he would go to visit her instead of golf. Once she passed away, this routine morphed into daily morning walks. A key part of this movement included his novel eating habits: he would typically only eat one meal a day, fasting well before it became fashionable.
- Keep on schedule: He was always on time. Just like a train that kept on schedule, my Grandpa would get to appointments or meet-ups well in advance of the agreed upon time - if you merely showed up on time, he would tell you that you were late.
- Connect with others: Trains connect people, cities, and industries. The web or railways that cross our country appear as the veins supplying blood to the body of America (see below). After the passing of my Father, Grandpa would call my Mom every morning at 5:30 a.m. (another nod to his schedule) proudly serenading her awake on his way to meet his Baloney Club members. He was the most consistent card giver I have ever met, sending specific cards for every occasion (I never knew there were so many "To Grandson and His Family" cards to choose from!).
- Stay young at heart. Trains are somewhat of a universal toy. Even as trains have fallen out of the day-to-day importance for most people, they have remained staples in our toy boxes, around our Christmas trees, and in our hearts as something that evokes excitement and fun. The sound of the whistle, counting cars at a crossing, racing trains on the highways. Trains bring out the kid in all of us. And, all the way up to the end of his life, my Grandpa stayed young at heart. My Grandpa loved telling and listening to jokes. His chuckle often replaced spoken responses. He loved playing and watching golf - quipping that Max Homa, who experienced decent success at this year's Masters, wasn't related to us because, in the words of my Grandpa, "I'm much better looking that him." He loved dessert and snacks - never overindulging but rather delighting in slices of pie, pieces of cake, cheese balls, popcorn, potato sticks, and finger foods like ribs and chicken wings. He played cards. He traveled. He read books. He listened to the radio. Like the soul of a train that stirs the kid in all of us, my Grandpa stayed young at heart.
- Stay strong. Trains are strong. Cow Catchers effortlessly remove obstacles on a train's track. Superman's strength was compared to the power of a locomotive. The transcontinental railroad cut through and went under and climbed up and sped down mountains. Like a speeding train, my Grandpa was strong. As a teenager, he organized a strike of caddies, throwing a scab attempting to cross the line into a nearby pond. When asked by one of his great-granddaughters why he enlisted in the Army, he boldly responded, "So we could win the war." His love for my Grandmother exuded strength. He was chivalrous and loyal and sacrificial, and I was blessed to witness the strength of his love for her as he cared for my Grandma during the final stages of her life. He would remind me to open doors for my wife and to not forget how blessed I was to have her as my bride. His strength continued all the way - and perhaps most powerfully - until the end of his life. Sometimes strength requires submission. Despite being independent for 98 years of his life, he graciously accepted the care of others as his body declined. Even a train that's slowing down and pulling into its station can't easily be stopped by virtue of its strength. Like a train in motion or standing still, my Grandpa stayed strong his entire life.
