by Audrey

I read Roger's narrative of Grandpa's advice to me when I was going off to court.  Different narrators are going to have a little different memory of that conversation. Roger's is close, but a bit different.  I'll write my memory of that conversation; an important conversation that I've remembered my entire life, one that I often go back to. Grandpa Fred had a big --and good-- impact on me. I still think of Grandpa as being with me, looking over my shoulder, sometimes advising me, other times good naturedly laughing at me.

..

About that car crash and Grandpa's words of wisdom:   Having been in the subject accident, I can provide additional detail and context.

I was driving in St Paul on a snowy night, the winter of 1966-67 or 1967-68, when I was rear-ended by a woman as I was making a left hand turn.  We both stopped along with several other cars.  Everyone got out of their cars and it became clear that the others who stopped all knew the woman that hit me.  From their conversation it sounded like they had all left a nearby party together.

The police came and the woman told the police that I was turning left from the right hand lane and had not used my turn signal.  I knew that wasn't true.  But the police believed her since the other drivers had agreed with her.  So I was ticketed and found at fault for the accident.  I decided to go to court to defend myself.

So here I am at home, before going to court, worrying about why the judge should believe me when the woman had witnesses from other cars supporting her and I had only the passenger in my car as a witness.

That's when Grandpa said to me "just tell the truth and you'll have nothing to remember."

Off to court.  Judge calls us all before him, me and my passenger and her with a handful of witnesses--from other cars.  The judge questioned us all.  I and my witness had just one straightforward story to tell.  When the judge questioned my opponent and her witnesses, well their stories were confusing and they contradicted each other. Couldn't keep their stories straight.  Then the judge told the woman that she had no case against me and I was cleared of fault for the accident.

I love Grandpa's wisdom, which continues to come in handy.

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