By Charles Melton
Melton’s Musings
Perhaps it’s only fitting that Thomas Earl Melton of Midlothian, Texas, passed away on Holy Thursday, because it’s further proof that God does indeed have a sense of humor.
Thomas Earl was my great uncle Tom, who I affectionately called Uncle Big Ears because of his prodigious ears that made me think of Dumbo the Elephant at times. He was the last of his generation, so the torch has officially been passed to my dad’s generation.
Uncle Big Ears wasn’t just a great uncle; he was great funcle, a great uncle but one who was the most fun of all my dad’s uncles, and boy, did we have some fun times once I was old enough to enjoy having fun with him.
My first memories of him were at the once regular family reunions that ended more than 30 years ago when everyone got busy with life stuff and weddings and funerals became the only times everyone got together. I like to joke that weddings and funerals are the same because someone is dying at both. Uncle Big Ears appreciated that humor; a lot of the family doesn’t.
He was also cracking jokes and trying to see what kind of trouble he could stir up with a witty remark to one of us youngsters to get us mad enough to wrestle with each other. It was all in good fun and sometimes he succeeded; other times he didn’t, but he was always smiling.
When one of my younger brothers got married in Fort Worth, I dutifully showed up in suit and tie and dress shoes instead of boots, while he was there wearing a pair of overalls. He looked at me and asked, “What in the hell are you doing dressed like that?” I told him that I had to be dressed like that and he just laughed and proceeded to ask my girlfriend at the time, “What is a beautiful young lady like you doing with Charlie?” I had warned her ahead of time that the Melton clan is an ornery bunch if there ever was one, but she didn’t believe me until that moment. Afterwards, once the shock wore off, she and I both had a great time at that tragic event.
My favorite memory of Uncle Big Ears other than the time he introduced me to water wine was at his wife, Patsy’s funeral in Emhouse, Texas, where the Melton family roots run deeper than those of a mesquite tree. I was living in New Orleans and was married at the time, and I had warned my then-wife not to take offense to anything that was said to me by Dad’s uncles and cousins. My relationship with my dad’s side of the family is different than that of my brothers, not only because I have my dad’s name but because I’m more like them than the rest of my immediate family.
Uncle Big Ears was sitting on an ATV in his overalls when we walked up and he gave her a quick look up and down. Then without any hesitation, he said, “You know that Charlie changes women like he changes underwear, don’t you?” I didn’t have to look at her to know that her jaw was on the ground, and I couldn’t argue with what he said because he was right.
He had one request of me that I finally fulfilled when I arrived in Washington, D.C., because he had told me for years that there was one thing he’d like to see before he died. Ten dollars and one picture was all it took to honor his request. Then I sent him a text saying that it was a joke. I don’t know who laughed harder, me or him. Everytime I called him he’d ask me when I was coming to see him again.
Sadly, I’m coming to see him again as soon as the funeral arrangements to pay my last respects instead of seeing him again for some water wine and ornery banter. Life is short. Make time for the ones you love because work can wait. I learned that the hard way with Uncle Big Ears passing. Don’t let it be you.
Charles Melton is the news editor of The Hutchinson Tribune. He can be reached at charles@hutchtribune.com.