A Kermit Moment

My father was renowned for his personal skills and his uncanny ability to talk and strike up a meaningful conversation with just about anyone. I remember getting to take a tour of the Parthenon in Nashville, TN. We arrived late (also a Cookson tradition), although I must say the visit to the Parthenon was not on the schedule lol…and just saying schedule and my father in the same sentence is pretty comical haha. But anyways. We were passing by and decided to stop. Only thing was the entire building was under construction. So all tours had been cancelled. Well my dad (Kermit Cookson) strikes up a conversation with the janitor there at the Parthenon, right at the entrance to the building. They start talking for a little and then, I believe, my father came and got me. We went up talk to the man again, black guy, and just like that he let us in. He told us if anyone asks we are his cousins and he could definitely be fired for this. Makes sense, since the place was being renovated. If either one of us were to get hurt he would be out of a job in a heart beat. But he enjoyed talking with my dad, so we got in. Now with a white dude and a half white/half black son I don’t know how well that would have gone over but it was our story and we were sticking to it. And thus begun our personal tour of the Parthenon. I don’t remember much of the tour but I do remember how we got the tour. There are numerous stories like this with my father.

I remember on one of our long trips to Missouri to visit his family we got to ride in a 18 wheeler. Mom and Riss were doing something…I can’t remember (I think I was like 5…and yes Riss if you read this I do actually remember). Dad and I went to check out the trucks and low and behold my father strikes up a conversation with one of the truck drivers as he’s checking out his rig. Now, I should note that my father did not pester, beg, or do anything of the sort. He was always legitimately interested, and had no intention of manipulation. These things just sort of happened. Anyone that knew him could attest to it.

But anyways, we’re talking to this truck driver and I’m in heaven. I’ve loved machinery (how things work), anything big, powerful, industrial, etc since I can remember. And at this point it was really the beginning of my love for 18 wheelers, tractor trailers, whatever you might call them. I became so good at recognizing them that I could tell you the model from about a mile or more away and from every angle. Anyways, one thing leads to another and the truck driver tells us he’s heading out but could swing us by our car. HOW cool is this! So dad and I climb in and the big ol’ struck starts off, switchin’ gears, making noise…I’m in heaven. It was an cab over engine or COE truck with trailer (I didn’t know brands then…I’m like 5 for goodness sake lol). We roll up a few hundred yards away and were the cars are all parked. We circle around and come down the main drag where are the cars are. Now my mom, she’s such a cutie, is walking out of the main building and heading back towards the car…paying no attention to this big rig coming. He gives the truck horns a pull and my mom and sister are looking around like what the hell is going on , as the truck comes to a stop. The door opens up and we hop out and mom doesn’t even know what to say. We turn around the the truck driver give him our thanks, as he was more than happy to help a father make his sons day, and he rolls on his way.

We got to do something similar to this while at a truck stop.We were over admiring the different trucks and the one we were looking at was a 100ton coal truck. One thing turns to another and we hitch a ride with him to dump the coal and pick up another load. About 15 minutes total because his route was so close, but it was so cool to see how it all worked. How the truck rocks when your pulling up, all the noises, the 13 different gears, and just the entrance a big rig makes as it pulls up. These were the cool little things (and some not so little lol) that my dad made happen.

We could never go anywhere and still be on time. There would always be someone he knew or would know. He was the guy everyone adored talking to. He was a great story teller, down to earth, and had a serious ability to connect with others.