Fabrice Calmels Instagram – Today my granddad passed at almost 94–what a celebration and an irony. He is probably laughing right now and saying “I told you so.” This man smoked “Gitanes Mais” (the worst cigarettes), and ate ridiculous amounts of chocolate. He drank espresso while simultaneously holding a sugar cube between his molars, waiting for the coffee to slowly melt the cube so he could get his shot of sugar. He did everything that the book of health condemned and yet lived to 94 years.
I once made the mistake of calling him an old man when I was a teenager and mocking him from a distance, as I used to love bugging and poking at him. At the time, he was barefoot while I was standing outside on the gravel, and he told me he would kick my butt if he caught me. I laughed, thinking I outmatched him because of my youth, my speed and strength from ballet (he was around 67 years old then), and also because I was wearing shoes and he was barefoot. Well, he ran after me and finally caught up to me after he chased me three times around the house. In my defense, I kept turning around to see if he was catching up, which he was, because every time I turned around, to my astonishment he was closer and reaching my soon-to-be-doomed fate. He was like Jesus walking on water; his feet barely touched the gravel. As fast as Carl Lewis, his skinny and aerodynamic legs caught up to me, and it all ended with a good old fashioned spanking.
The last time I saw him, he asked me “did you bring some” while holding two fingers to his mouth. I was confused. He continued: “Cigarettes you idiot!”
He was a great grandfather. He was not sweet, but spicy, and we had this incredible relationship. He was a cultured man who read several books per week. He taught me to recognize mushrooms, and find them from the forest. He taught me how to recognize birds, by their look and sound. He taught me yoga (in the early morning, after forcing me out of bed). He taught me to be spiritual, to recognize wild animal trails on our hikes, to learn the behavior of honey bees. Knowledge was his thing, and he loved to pass it along.
So to you Grand Pere! I celebrate you and congratulate you on your amazing life 🙂
R I P | Posted on 12/Jan/2021 05:52:26
