My Pa Tuddy

Howard “Tuddy” Stockton

1st Place

Evan Little

“Gentlemen, start your engines!” as my Pa Tuddy would say. My Grandpa Tuddy is a hardworking mechanic with brown eyes and silver-white hair. He used to own a great car garage booming with business. He is the kindest person I know and always goes to church, earnestly listening to every word the preacher says. I always feel safe, as long as I’m in his arms. He should not only be Grandparent of the Year in Kentucky, but the whole universe – farther than spaceships! Even though he could probably build one. So fuel up and listen about the next Grandparent of the Year.

My grandpa is the best cook in the world. Those Food Network stars couldn’t dream of cooking as good as he does. When I wake up to the aroma of fried eggs and bacon, my mood goes from 0 to 25. That’s on a scale of ten by the way. I can’t imagine how he makes that wonderful meal, so I asked him, “Grandpa, how do you make such awesome bacon?” He replied, “You put lard in a pan, fry the bacon, and eat it.” He has taught me lots of cooking and knife safety tips like the right boiling temperature for soup, or secret ingredients that make things taste good. He can cook almost anything, and his fridge is always packed with yummy things to eat. When we sit at the eating table, we gobble down our food while the last thing we think about is manners. That is one reason why he should be Grandparent of the Year because how could you be a grandparent if you don’t know how to cook.

My grandpa always makes me feel safe. In fact, he would sleep with a pistol just to make sure I was safe. Besides, nothing can take away my sense of security when I’m in his arms. One time when I woke up and heard a scary noise, he went and stayed up by the door with me for the rest of the night, so I would be safe. He can take the most terrifying moment and make me laugh. He’s always been the same comforting, childish, old man that always makes me feel safe.

My grandpa is a hardworking mechanic who loves cars. He can fix anything, whether it’s a pen or a car motor. He can fix it. He even lets me help him. When I’m at his house our favorite thing to do is go to the garage. The garage is where he used to work on cars, and also where he teaches me some basic mechanics. He has taught me all the names of the tools, what they do, and even how to fix things. He would work on items and notice my interest. “Evan, put that right there and turn the wrench.” I learned so much from him that I can assemble a broken chainsaw and make it run. He would congratulate me and we would go inside for lunch. When he was my age, he would make his own wagons and even help work on cars. As a teenager, he fixed a car part in a day that normally takes a week to fix. He is still that hard working today. I hope one day, I’ll be as hardworking as him.

I am glad I wrote this essay because it has made me see how special my grandpa is to me. After reading my own thoughts I’ve written on paper, I realized that he is a bigger part of my life than I thought before. If Grandpa doesn’t win, no one can. Besides, he’ll always be a winner in my eyes. That is why he should be Grandparent of the Year.