Cold Feet

Cold Feet

Dad dearly loved my mother's brother Calvin: "Uncle Cal".

Uncle Cal moved his family from New Mexico to California in the early nineteen-forties-- several years before my family moved there. Cal's choice was to live near the sea in the then small village of San Diego.

We often visited these relatives on holidays and, after we children were grown and gone, Mom and Dad still enjoyed visiting them. As I have said, Cal and Dad were the best of friends.

When Cal was old he had heart-bypass surgery. He only lived a few days in pain after the operation and then died--but Dad had visited Cal in the hospital before his death.

Dad said Cal had gone to the doctor in the first place because he was bothered by cold feet.

The doctor had convinced him that cold feet was a sign of poor blood circulation which could be improved by a nice, expensive bypass operation. (Unfortunately, Uncle Cal had good medical insurance, which would pay for the doctor's work.)

Dad said Cal had told him before he died that he should have bought a warm pair of socks instead.

Tomasito, 2008

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