The Ideal Grandfather
My grandfather had a red tandem bicycle. He sat on the front to move the pedals as I sat
on the rear. My parents were very busy when I was a kid, and they were never home so I was
always with my grandfather. I still remember his robust back. I used to love watching the train
with him whenever my parents went to work. During the bicycle ride he always sang a song
about my grandmother. I always laughed when he sang this song. The songs were about how my
grandfather used to pretend to be ill so that he could see my grandmother, because she was a
nurse at the hospital. Grandfather was a very good story teller and a knowledgeable man. He
taught me lots of stories about World War II and whenever I asked him questions he came up
with detailed answers with his opinion. My grandfather was the ideal grandfather for me.
What are the ideal images of a grandfather? I believe an ideal grandfather needs to meet
certain criteria such as being kind, knowledgeable, and a good story teller. Sometimes parents
can be harsh on children, so having a kind grandfather can help grandchildren relax. Also, it is
good for a grandfather to be knowledgeable since children are curious about everything, and
need someone they can go to with their questions. If your grandfather is a good story teller, you
can learn lessons from his past experiences that will be useful for the future.
My grandfather was very kind. Whenever I told him I wanted to go somewhere he never
said no to me. For example when I said to him “Let’s go watch the train, grandpa!” he said
“Sure.” His answer was always “Yes” or “Sure.” I loved that because my parents always respond
with “No” or “That is too dangerous.” My grandfather was like a “Yes man” for me. He took me
to lots of different places with his bicycle, such as the playground, train station and candy shop. I
loved when he took me to the candy shop. He bought lots of sweets for me. My grandfather was
a very compassionate man.
My grandfather was also a very knowledgeable man. He went to one of the top
universities in Japan. He could never finish his degree because he had to go to war while
attending university. When I was a kid, I was always curious about the Emperor. "Why do we
have an emperor?" I would ask, since he doesn't have power to control the government. My
grandfather said, "In the past the Emperor was like a king for us. We fought for him and we died
for him. Today he has become a symbol of the state and unity of the people, deriving his position
from the will of the people with who resides sovereign power. You might think he is needless but
he is the symbol of our country. He will always be the symbol of our country and we need to
keep his blood.” Grandfather was a very informed and mindful man.
“What was World War II like grandpa?” I asked him to tell me a story about World War
II because I had to write an essay for school homework. During World War II he went to the
Philippines to fight against the Allies. He told me that the Imperial Japanese Army did not have
enough supplies, so he had to hunt for food by himself. He ate anything that moved such as rats
and snakes. My grandfather’s troop’s leader ordered him to take a boat to move to the island, but
the American’s already knew about this. They bombed this boat, but luckily my grandfather
survived because he was ordered to burn all the confidential information in his base, and thus
never stepped on the boat. When his base got attacked by American troops he had to hide in a
cave until war was over. My grandfather was the only man who survived in his troop. My
grandfather was a very good story teller.
Some people might say that kindness, knowledge, and storytelling skills are not enough
for an ideal grandfather. They might argue that grandfather needs to be funny or rich and give
presents. I do understand that if these two elements were added to my ideal grandfather, he might
be a more ideal grandfather for me. Are those really necessary? I don’t need a funny grandfather
as long as I have a funny friend. Being rich is not necessary and when I was a kid, I couldn't and
didn’t care if things were cheap or expensive. My ideal grandfather was kind, knowledgeable,
and a good storyteller.
When I think about my grandfather, I realize that he was a huge influence of my life.
When I was a kid he always took care of me; he was like a third parent. I grew up with his love,
and if I didn't have a grandfather I may not have learned about kindness because my parents were
too busy working. Maybe I would have never figured out why we have an Emperor in Japan, or
how the war was so terrible, or many other bigger life questions, if it weren't for my grandfather's
stories. If I did not have my grandfather I don’t think I would have become a social person like
today, as I would have spent all my time alone. He helped me to become a better person. I try to
be kind to everyone, share the knowledge of what my grandfather told me, and remember how
much he influenced the person I am today. When I become a grandfather I would love to spend
time with my grandchildren on my red tandem bicycle.