Uncle Adolph and Dad both graduated from Castle Heights in Lebanon. TN. Adolph was #1 in his class and the Cadet Major. Three years later, Dad finished at the bottom of his class and could not attend graduation because he still had demerits to march off.
When I was about 6, the brothers brought Wettlin (Adolph’s only son who was about 9) and me with them on a trip to do banking business for the family company in Nashville and to visit Castle Heights, which was nearby. We stayed at the famous Maxwell House Hotel (which burned to the ground several years later.) We were all in one room – Dad and I were in one queen size bed and Adolph and Wettlin were in the other one. My most memorable experience of the trip occurred early the next morning.
In the middle of the night, Dad poked and woke me up and told me to go tee-tee. It was wise since from time to time, I had been known to wet the bed. I very sleepily got up, headed to the bathroom, opened the door, did my business, and came back and went to sleep. Several hours later I was startled out of my slumber by a loud shout. When I gained full consciousness, I realized that it was Uncle Adolph, and he was clearly very upset about something. I picked up a “g__ damn!” and looked to see him holding one of his shoes. He stepped across the room to where the trash can was and turned his expensive dress shoe upside down. Outflowed a steam of yellow liquid. He then glowered at Dad, but mostly me and said, “Who in the hell pissed in my shoes?!!!” Uncle Adolph was normally one of the funniest, kindest, and gentlest men that I knew. But at that moment, I was terrified that he was going to throttle me – and with just cause.
That experience has remained a vivid memory with me for six and a half decades. And it was effective. I have not peed in anyone’s shoes since.
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