A Bad Heart?
Robert R. "Junior" Taylor
There's been a lot of things said in the past few days about Junior Taylor's heart. Folks have said that he had a bad heart, that it was diseased and it didn't work right. People say that it was too enlarged and that his heart killed him. Those aren't good ways to remember the heart of ole JR because there's much more than just a physical description to the heart of a man. Here's how I'll remember the heart of this man.
I'll remember a heart that was generous and open. A heart that was always eager to help. The last time the youth group had a hamburger supper, Junior was approached to see what kind of deal he could get on a few things that were needed. "I'll take care of it! Don't worry about that!" he said. The day of the supper he showed up with forty pound boxes of lettuce and tomatoes and onions, and returned with at least thirty pounds of rock salt for the ice cream. And he wouldn't hear of taking back anything that we didn't use. "Anything you got left take home with you or give it to somebody who can use it," he insisted, and ""You always need salt for ice cream and I've still got plenty to use with the tow truck."
I'll remember a heart that was swelled, not with disease, but with pride. He was so proud of the boys. Always eager to share how well they were doing in school. I can remember when Adam was little and helping in the garage. Junior would watch him trying to work on something too big for him and getting his T-shirt and hands dirty and greasy just like his Dad's. Junior would just stand and watch with a big tobacco stained grin, pointing him out to everyone who came by, "That's my boy, look at him! Just like the old man!"
And I’ll remember when he ran the little luncheon grill at the front of the store. "We got a lot of orders, Linda May," he'd say when the little stools started filling up. And I can remember him standing there just watching Linda when she wasn't looking, with the same grin and pride and admiration that I so often saw him watching his boys with.
I’ll remember a tender heart buried beneath and grease and dirt. A heart that mourned and grieved the loss of his friends. His was a heart that hurt not because it didn't work right, but because it worked very well.
And I'll remember a heart that hurt because it was anxious and broken. When the boys got old enough to go the church camp for a few days in the summer, Junior's heart was broken. He knew that they wanted to go and should go and part of him wanted them to go, but part was heavy and burdened and couldn't stand for them to be away from home and from him. "They can go if they want to, but I doubt if they will. Matthew likes to stay home; Aaron won't even spend the night at Pauline's without having to be picked up. Matthew might stay, but we'll have to go get Aaron, he'll cry if he's away from home. They just don't like to travel, but they can go if they want to."
When we asked the boys if they wanted to go to camp and would stay they both said that they'd be all right, that Dad was the one we'd have to worry about. And the first night when Aaron was tearful and homesick, it took all the persuasive power of the preacher to talk Junior out of going in the middle of the night to pick him up. Later that week I asked Adam how Junior was doing and he said the same thing that Matthew year Aaron was at camp alone, "He's not doing very well, we may have to send him to camp." At the end of camp week I picked up the boys and asked them how they like camp. They both said that they had a good time and wouldn't mind staying there another week but thought that they better get home and check on Dad.
I'll remember a heart that did what it promised. A day or two after Dad died, Junior visited Momma and told her, "Betty Jean, I always took care of those cars for Lewis, and 1 promised him that I'd take care of them for you. And I'll do it."
A few years later I happened across Jim Foshee at the Sandwich House, and by and by the topic turned to Junior. Jim told me, "I'll tell you one thing about J.R. He usually lets the hired hands do a lot of the mechanicing, but when he's got one of your Mom's car, he does most of that himself, and what he lets them do, he's always standing over them and watching and telling him that we've gotta get Betty Jean's car done right and done quick. He does that ever time. He's awful particular with her cars for some reason." I was able to tell Jim that the reason was that he'd made a promise.
I'll remember a heart that was loyal to his friends. Many years ago, Haynes Gass led the youth group on a trip to Cincinnati. On the way back home, somewhere in Kentucky, the motor on the church bus blew up. After securing everyone In a church for the night, the leaders activated the Hardin's Chapel version of fast communication, the ladies with their phones. Saundra called Aunt Nell and told her what was going on and asked her to spread the word throughout the community so the parents wouldn't worry.
To show how fast the system worked in those days, Saundra handed the phone to Haynes, who called Junior about three minutes later. All Haynes said was, "Hey, JR." before Junior interrupted him. "Done heard ail about it, Haynes Alfred, and don't worry about a thing; I've got you covered. I've found a motor for the bus, and quick as you tell me where you are, me and Nortie will get it and be up there tonight."
Years later, when Jeff was coming home from the Navy with his family, he'd put me in charge of finding him a cheap car, a good job, and a cheap home by the time they arrived in a few weeks. I immediately gave up on the first two, and after looking around was ready to give up on the last when I heard that Junior had a house he rented, so I went to see him and told him of mine and Jeff’s problem.
Junior had rented out the house two days ago, but the people hadn't moved in yet. He allowed as he'd just have to let Jeff have the place because he needed it. Linda protested that he couldn't because he'd already rented it to other people. "Well, we'll just have to tell them something." I asked if he had in mind telling them the truth. He thought for a minute and said, "Now, that might just work. Linda May, call them up and tell them that one of our old friends is in a predicament and needs the place and we've got to let him have it." Linda reminded him that the people had been over there for two days cleaning it up so they could move in. "Well, we'll pay them something for their time, but Jeff needs it." "Those other people might need it too," Linda reminded him. "I know and I feel sorry for them, but they're strangers and Doug and Jeff’s family, and you have to help out family first."
There's been a lot of things said in the. past few days about Junior Taylor's heart. Folks have said that he had a bad heart, that it was diseased, that it didn't work right, People say that it was too enlarged and that his heart killed him. That's not true. He had a big heart but it keeps him alive, at least in our memories. He had a good heart and it worked right.
