This past weekend while camping, Keegan and I (Mr. Jay) went on a great adventure to an auto part store, yes, an auto parts store. Mr. Jay needed to get a fuse for my truck (long story) and Keegan wanted to go with me. Keegan loves to ride in my truck, a loud diesel, Ford of course, better than Keegan’s dad’s Chevrolet, which I call a fiesel. It kind of sounds like a diesel, fake diesel. Anyway, back to the adventure. It was a 15-minute drive one way. On the way we talked about what we needed to get and what were we going to see at the auto parts store. If you know Keegan, then you know that those few questions took us the entire trip.

At the store, we quickly found the fuses and got what we needed, and I turned to head to the front to pay, but Keegan saw something that intrigued him. He headed down the aisle and if you know you know, I had to go with him because I had the oxygen backpack. What was it that caught his eye? It was a trailer taillight, one about six inches wide, and he thought that it would be perfect for his bike. I explained that the light needed a battery, and not just a regular battery, one like a car battery, and he saw a lawnmower battery nearby, said it would fit in the basket on his bike, would that work for the light. I told him that it might, and that he should ask his dad (Electrical Engineer) or Mr. Tony (Electrician).

We paid, for my fuse, and not the taillight or battery. On the way back to the campsite, the conversation unexpectedly jumped to a new level. Keegan told me that I was like his dad, when his dad was not around. I told Keegan that it was really nice of him to say that, and that he has an awesome dad, but that I should just be his Mr. Jay. I can be like his dad, or his grandpa, or uncle, or brother, or friend, because as Mr. Jay, I can be all of those things.

Keegan can be a lot sometimes, a lot of too much to handle, a lot of patience testing, a lot of fun, a lot of laughs, and when you least expect it, he can be a lot of love and caring. He never ceases to amaze me, I am inspired by his outlook on life, and his tenacity.