Opinion : Car racing and Pump Organs

Ever since I was probably around 10 or so, my dad would take us to visit one of his old friends, John.

John and my dad would fix up my dads car and race around Linn and maybe Buchanan County. I don't think they ever did anything illegal, other than speeding.

The stories I first heard were in a hospital waiting room while waiting for an aunt to recover from surgery. My other aunts were telling me of the times he would drive home from Cedar Rapids to Walker, and out run the cops that were chasing him.

Now I knew my dad was one of those Mr. Fix It types, but a lawbreaker? I never knew that side of him.

He just sat and grinned as they told me of his escapades, and at one point asked his sisters to stop, but of course, what are sisters for?

From what I've heard, my grandma spent many nights on her knees praying for her wayward son. There were nights his sisters came home and they would hear her in the other room still praying for him.

Now none, of this has a point other than to introduce you to John.

John was a pretty quiet guy, my dad loud.

John had a great sense of humor, my dad more of a dry sarcasm.

When the two would get together, they would sit and talk of the days they were teenagers. John would also tell of their many pranks and make my dad duck his head.

The contrast of the setting and the stories were just too funny.

See, John was a devout Amish man. I doubt his neighbors knew what he had done as a teenager and at times he would often joke about the way things were, my dad a trucker and he an Amish man.

In John's living room, he had an old pump organ. I was always amazed with this piece of furniture. As a matter of fact, I couldn't tell you about anything else in the room except that organ.

John repaired and restored pump organs.

From that time on, I always wanted one. I know, it's not a practical item, or necessary, but neither is an ipad, ipod or any of those other I's.

I kind of gave up on ever being able to own one, because like John always said, "If you find one, it's usually broken and won't play, or if it does play, it's expensive because someone put a lot of money into it."

So, realizing that this was one item I would never own.

Until last weekend.

We went to a benefit auction, and there it sat. The pump organ of my dreams. I looked at it. To my amazement, it still worked! A lot of folks were looking at it, so my heart sunk as I realized that it would probably go pretty high and I wouldn't be able to bring it home.

As luck would have it, no one wanted the old beauty...and I almost felt bad bidding a whopping $50 on it, but I did. As I held my breath thinking that I probably just woke up the bidders, I waited until I heard,
"Going once, going twice...Sold!"

I couldn't believe my luck! My very own working pump organ. It appears that she's probably over 100 years old, which goes well with another old secretary from the same era.

As we drove home following my son in law, who was also hauling some 50"+ TV along with my new organ, I had to chuckle at the picture.

Every time I look at my pump organ sitting in the corner, the smell of kerosene and the reminder of an old Amish fellow named John will still come to my mind.