Up in the House

Fighter pilot, heart surgeon, master of martial arts....all self-proclaimed descriptions of a man named House. My description? Boony House is a story teller, a gentleman, a checker player and a sweet spirit. He is what my mom used to call a character! He and my daughter Murphy (in photo) like to play checkers while he spins a tale. In his mind, he has lived in many places, had all sorts of careers and his life has been full of adventure. I can't separate the truth from the illness, but I do love to talk to House.

He is probably in his late 60's with gray hair and a beard. He seems to wear denim a lot. He won't eat meat after 5 pm. His grandmother once told him that you would get the "high blood" if you ate meat after five and he has adhered to this his whole life. He loves to tell a story, mostly about his experiences. In these tall tales he tends to puff himself up a bit, but sometimes he surprises me.

Once, while he was in Vietnam flying helicopters, Chuck Norris came to visit and to perform for the troops. House noticed during Chuck's demonstration, that there were some areas that could be improved. Since he is a martial arts master, he pointed these weak areas out to Chuck and subsequently found himself challenged to a sparring match. Even though I was sure that I knew the outcome, right on cue, I asked, "So, how did it end?" House looked me in the eye and said, "That Chuck Norris tore me up!" I still smile when I think about it!

House hasn't been around lately. I heard that his family had placed him in some sort of assisted care home. I hope he is getting the help he needs and I hope he is happy. Mostly, I hope that there are some folks willing to listen to him. He is a man with a story worth telling.