Pull My Finger

A life lesson only gandpa can deliver

Old practical joke here.

Often deployed by male senior citizens on unsuspecting young children.

It went something like this (still happens today):

Old grandpa is sitting there watching the Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving around 2:30 or so. Seemed disinterested.

Dinner was over and done. Dirty dishes clanking in the kitchen.

Grandpa looked on the verge of falling asleep…in the distant, beige, La-Z-Boy Lounger. TV remote on the floor.

His hair was awfully gray and rather greasy looking.

He noticed you across the room and said something like, ‘Hey, comere.’

So you actually stepped up to the plate, not so sure.

You sidled up to him. He seemed pretty old. But not quite smelly enough.

He held up his right hand and extended his forefinger, sometimes the pinky. He offered you his extended digit with exceptional seriousness.

He looked at you and said, “Can you do this?”

You nodded, because you had no great choice to choose from.

You did this to yourself.

Then, he said, “Pull it.”

And you complied.

What happened next, no real child ever forgets.

Call it: A rite of passage.

This ancient, family-oriented act continues to apply to most modern business ventures.

Lessons learned.