The Outsider

 
If my Uncle Doug were a juvenile today, he would probably be in jail or in a home for boys. He was wild in his day. He was the tough guy that got the girl. He rode a motorcycle, got kicked out of numerous schools, and hitched hiked to places like New York. He got homemade tattoos, was thrown into jail more than once, got into fights, and partied hard.

Whenever the family gets together, he likes to gather around the nieces and nephews and tell us stories of when he was young. It doesn’t matter how many times we have heard them, they get better and better each time. I love how my grandma laughs along with us. She’s probably hearing many of the things in detail for the first time. I also love how my cousins look up at him in amazement. He always reassures us that there is no way we could get away with the things he did today.

He has made a good life for himself. He is honest, genuine, funny, and the best storyteller, and I love and respect him for that.