My grandfather had to have been the most practical man I have ever known.  In fact I still remember many of the “rules to live by” that he handed down over the years before he passed away.

It is through my observations of him and so many like him that I have come to believe that our senior citizens possess a talent for knowing the difference between right and wrong and the simple character trait of plain old common sense. Older people in my opinion, are remarkably resilient and incredibly dependable. Sitting in the church pew this past Sunday, I scanned the congregation and was once again reminded of what a valuable resource our senior citizens are.

Grandpa used to tell his grandkids if you couldn’t pay cash for something then you couldn’t afford it. He was a product of tough times growing up during the Great Depression and clearly understood how to get by with less. Credit purchases were simply out of the question unless it was a mortgage.

I first came to understand his convictions regarding saving money and avoiding debt in 1974 when he purchased a used pickup truck.

Being the practical man that he was, Grandpa selected a used Dodge D100 short wheel base pickup truck that was as basic as one could find. There was a heater and defroster but certainly didn’t have a radio. He used to laugh when asked about air conditioning and said it had a model 2-50 device that worked quite well. That was his way of saying “two windows down at 50 miles per hour.” He paid cash for the old truck and, though he could have afforded something more luxurious, he instead chose to live within his means. 

My grandfather was also a man who loved to smoke his pipe and listen to college football games on the home “Hi-Fi Stereo system” purchased with Green Stamps my grandmother collected. I recall going through that stereo cabinet after my grandparents passed away and smiled as I found the albums they used to listen to. Floyd Cramer, Andy Williams and an old Jim Nabors album were among the collection.

Was life really more simple back then? Or have we just made things too complicated with our home computers, satellite dishes and microwave ovens?

Whenever I begin to feel my life is becoming too complicated, I remind myself there are those out there who have endured far more than I could ever imagine and they have persevered. I have seen the men and women who comprise what has come to be known as The Greatest Generation and find comfort knowing they are out there sharing my beliefs of decency, fairness and common sense. 

The truck my grandfather purchased many years ago, affectionately nicknamed Old Blue, is now 42 years old and is still driven almost every day. Each time I hold the steering wheel in my hands, I am reminded Grandpa once held the same steering wheel in his hands and can’t help but wonder if he would approve of the way I have been “steering my family and steering my life”.

Thanks to all my well wishers since I have returned from Iraq.

Greg Laffitte wrote regular columns for The Times during two military deployments.