Elliot passed

[Tom]

Elliot, the 90 year old sawyer has passed on.  

I'm happy that he had the chance to saw one more log.

Elliot

[Fla._Deadheader]

That's the one bad feature about this, or any forum. Sharing bad news about someone's relatives or acquaintances. I know that everyone here has a genuine feeling of sadness when bad news turns up.

  Mr.Tom, I just read your previous article about you and Elliott. You sir, are a true humanitarian. My hat's off to you, Sir.   ;) ;)  Harold

[Don P]

It's never fun to see them go.

I'm glad you could bring true joy to what turned out to be his final days Tom.

[DanG]

It is sad to hear that Elliot has passed on. I'm glad that we all got to share in a little bit of his long, and productive life. Tom, you gave him the opportunity to go back, one more time, and show that he could still do what he had been so good at. But the joy that he felt as he did that, came from within him. It was the joy that is known by someone who can recognize, and extract the beauty and strength that is within a God-given resource, such as a simple log. In the picture of him getting some stick-time on your Baker, you can just see the satisfaction, as well as the confidence and competence in his face. We are all blessed by the sharing of this moment.

[OneWithWood]

93 years is a good long time.  Here's to a life lived.
Tom, you are a rare individual to see into someone's heart as you did Elliot's.  I am sure you enriched his last year on this earth and I am equally sure your kind act will be repaid to you many times over.  Here's to a life appreciated

[whitepe]

Tom,
That story brings tears to my eyes. :'(
Many people will go to their graves not realizing
that the greatest joy in life is doing something
to bring joy to someone else's life. That's what life
is all about.  Yes Tom, You are truly a gentleman.
When we all some day go that great Forestry Forum
in the sky,  I would like to get the chance to meet Elliot.
I am sure that the first thing he will say is I remember
sawing a log with Tom.

Whitepe

[Noble_Ma]

Tom, I bet Elliot's son is real glad he thought to bring his dad along that day.  And I know he's even happier that you gave him a chance to mill again.  Even in your sorrow, you have to feel good about what you did.  Thanks for sharing both stories with us.

[Tom]

Fellows, thanks for making me feel good.  I won't you to know that I just thoroughly love these Old-Timers, even the mean ones.   ;)  I was reared to respect my elders and provide them with authority whether I thought they deserved it or not.  A smart mouthed, self indulgent kid wasn't allowed in our society.  I've had to eat a lot of crow and swallow a lot of pride over the years but it has always been worth it.

When a man gets old enough that he has lost family and friends, technology has passed him by and he is forced to live on a restricted, fixed income, he can't help but lose respect for himself. It's so easy for them, alone in the world, to become depressed, closed in and eventually pass with no one remembering they were there.

I'm no saint and don't do what I do because I want people to think that "I" am a good person.  I'm as bad as anybody that ever walked this earth.  But, I do truly like those who have spent a long productive life.  They have so much to tell and so much to teach that it seems such a waste to let it all get by me.  

Elliot was special.  There was something about him that just let me know that he was real. I only knew him one day, but it was a month's worth of experience.  You should have seen him roll that log. You should have seen him study it for a few moments before he tried to set the blade in motion.  I knew, without a doubt that he knew what he was doing.  The mechanism of the mill threw him a little bit, but I had enough experience, thank goodness, that I knew what he was looking for and could point out the handle without his asking.  Have you ever noticed that those Old-Timers hate to ask for help?  They sure are obstinate and get downright embarrassed when they need help. I think that is the key to success when having a relationship with one; Anticipation of his needs so he needn't have to ask.

Elliot's gone now and three of his 18" boards were planed by Mr. Tommy and are being put up in Elliot's son's office  He plans to frame and hang the pictures I took that day, of his Daddy sawing the log, onto these boards.

That makes my day.  

Today, I had lunch with two of my regulars.  There is so much to learn and so little time with them.  One isn't looking too good and Alzheimers is taking its toll.  The conversations are becoming short and I find that I have to pry.  The knowledge that comes out is priceless.  

I've heard tales of the ship yard, welding, sheet metal work, Spam in WWII, cutting metals on big lathes and other stories that contained little jewels of knowledge that I couldn't have gotten anywhere else. If only I could remember it all.

Today they decided to leave a two dollar tip each because the waitress, a regular, would need money for Christmas for her kids. See, they care too.

I'm so glad to have such a good group with whom to share these experiences.
The biggest problem with having friends like this is that they keep leaving.

[CHARLIE]

John Shippey, 82, John Calvert, 82 and Tom

[Tillaway]

Your a treasure Tom, I'm glad you are who you are.

[dan-l-b]

Hope I meet someone like you in my later years.  Giviing the gift of "significance" is priceless.  My hats off to you ;D

[Jeff]

Of the 2000 photos on this site, that picture of Elliot standing at the controls of the saw is my favorite and I think the most memorable. It just came up as the random photo for me on the front page and so I had to go find the story and read about Elliot again.

[ADfields]

Just a glance and you can see he did that once ot twice.  
Andy

[Frank_Pender]

de Vinci said once near the time for to leave, "While I was learning to llive I was really learning to die".  Tom, there wll be people you speak about because you are seting the stage right now to be one of them. ;)  the Elliots of out world are all around us.  We just have not had the opportunity to visit with all of them, or even enough of them.  Many of the young folk of this world could sure use a good dose of time with the Elliots around them.  

[Corley5]

I always treasure a visit with an "Old Timer".  They have more important knowledge to pass along than even they realize.  I tried to learn and absorb as much as I could from my Grandfathers and still find myself having to learn on my own something that they could do so easily.  Letting Elliot run your mill was a wonderful thing to do Tom.  It's great to hear that his son is making special use of some of that lumber.

[Gordon]

I'm sorry to hear of his passing Tom but on that day you let him saw his last log you not only made his day but a memory that will stay with his son forever.

Like I've said before on here---Your a class act Tom.


Gordon