ThePickleJar
A.W.科布/A.W.Cobb
AsfarbackasIcanremember,thelargepicklejarsatonthefloorbesidethedresserinmyparents』bedroom.Whenhegotreadyforbed,Dadwouldemptyhispocketsandtosshiscoinsintothejar.AsasmallboyIwasalwaysfascinatedatthesoundsthecoinsmadeastheyweredroppedintothejar.Theylandedwithamerryjinglewhenthejarwasalmostempty.Thenthetonesgraduallymutedtoadullthudasthejarwasfilled.Iusedtosquatonthefloorinfrontofthejarandadmirethecopperandsilvercirclesthatglintedlikeapirate』streasurewhenthesunpouredthroughthebedroomwindow.
Whenthejarwasfilled,Dadwouldsitatthekitchentableandrollthecoinsbeforetakingthemtothebank.Takingthecoinstothebankwasalwaysabigproduction.Stackedneatlyinasmallcardboardbox,thecoinswereplacedbetweenDadandmeontheseatofhisoldtruck.Eachandeverytime,aswedrovetothebank,Dadwouldlookatmehopefully.「Thosecoinsaregoingtokeepyououtofthetextilemill,son.You』regoingtodobetterthanme.Thisoldmilltown』snotgoingtoholdyouback.」Also,eachandeverytime,asheslidtheboxofrolledcoinsacrossthecounteratthebanktowardthecashier,hewouldgrinproudly.「Theseareformyson』scollegefund.He』llneverworkatthemillallhislifelikeme.」
Wewouldalwayscelebrateeachdepositbystoppingforanicecreamcone.Ialwaysgotchocolate.Dadalwaysgotvanilla.WhentheclerkattheicecreamparlorhandedDadhischange,hewouldshowmethefewcoinsnestledinhispalm.「Whenwegethome,we』llstartfillingthejaragain.」
Healwaysletmedropthefirstcoinsintotheemptyjar.Astheyrattledaroundwithabrief,happyjingle,wegrinnedateachother.「You』llgettocollegeonpennies,nickels,dimesandquarters,」hesaid.「Butyou』llgetthere.I』llseetothat.」
Theyearspassed,andIfinishedcollegeandtookajobinanothertown.Once,whilevisitingmyparents,Iusedthephoneintheirbedroom,andnoticedthatthepicklejarwasgone.Ithadserveditspurposeandhadbeenremoved.AlumproseinmythroatasIstaredatthespotbesidethedresserwherethejarhadalwaysstood.Mydadwasamanoffewwords,andneverlecturedmeonthevaluesofdetermination,perseverance,andfaith.Thepicklejarhadtaughtmeallthesevirtuesfarmoreeloquentlythanthemostfloweryofwordscouldhavedone.
WhenImarried,ItoldmywifeSusanaboutthesignificantpartthelowlypicklejarhadplayedinmylifeasaboy.Inmymind,itdefined,morethananythingelse,howmuchmydadhadlovedme.Nomatterhowroughthingsgotathome,Dadcontinuedtodoggedlydrophiscoinsintothejar.EventhesummerwhenDadgotlaidofffromthemill,andMamahadtoservedriedbeansseveraltimesaweek,notasingledimewastakenfromthejar.Onthecontrary,asDadlookedacrossthetableatme,pouringcatsupovermybeanstomakethemmorepalatable,hebecamemoredeterminedthanevertomakeawayoutforme.「Whenyoufinishcollege,son,」hetoldme,hiseyesglistening,「you』llneverhavetoeatbeansagainunlessyouwantto.」