Sprinklers and Character

I learned something sweet about Papa's character on our first date. It was early September of 1974 so a lot of people in Provo were still watering their lawns. Back then there weren't so many watering systems. Most people used sprinklers attached to a hose. Papa picked me up very promptly for our date and we started our walk to the BYU campus. We hadn't gone far when we encountered a sprinkler that was watering lawn and sidewalk. We were forced to detour out into the street to avoid getting wet.

After our second sprinkler encounter it became clear that Papa was unhappy about something. I asked him about it and his answer surprised and touched me. He had spent many minutes prior to picking me up for our date walking several possible routes to campus and mapped out the one that would allow us to walk the entire way without getting wet and without having to stray from the sidewalks. What he hadn't factored in was the fact that sprinklers had to be moved in order to cover the entire lawn so many of the spots that had previously been safe were now wet.

I assured Papa that it wasn't a problem to avoid a sprinkler here and there and let him know that I appreciated his thoughtfulness. He has demonstrated that sort of care and concern many times in our years together. He is a real gentleman.