Mean, Ornery, and Irritable

If you asked him, 'How are you?', his answer was always, 'Mean, ornery, and irritable'.  But I remember him as kind, happy, and even-tempered.  One late night, when Leon and I were first married, we were out and our car broke down.  After weighing our options, we reluctantly called and Bob, Dad came to our rescue.  He didn't arrive with a lecture, a bad attitude, or 'I told you so' - not mean, ornery, or irritable.  He arrived with a smile, a warm ride home, and assurance that he would be back in the morning to take us to get the car taken care of. --- Merri Clawson Rich (Daughter-in-law)