“A Sack of Shit”
One of my favorite memories about things my grandmother Warnella Wells (1936-2013) did or said was being called “a sack of shit” by her when I was a kid acting up. It’s interesting to me that my sister or girl cousins don’t remember this. So, I’m guessing it’s something she used exclusively for the boys. She used to work at the state hospital and would sometimes bring things home (like so many black grandmothers did and do). If I wouldn’t drink the little cartons of milk she’d brought home because they weren’t chocolate I was “a sack of shit.” If my cousin Jamar forgot his football gear for a game and had to be taken back home—yep—“a sack of shit!“ When we were collectively getting on her nerves we were “little sacks of shit!” When my grandmother came to live with my mom after a debilitating accident I helped care for her, including changing her diapers. So, shit remained a theme. I, the “sack of shit” was honored to do it because I knew the spirit in which she proclaimed the designation. She loved her grandchildren and sacrificed for each and every one of us. So, when I could do the same for her- I did. My son Ayden is the first great-grandchild born since her death. I take this as a sign of good luck. It’ll be interesting to see what his grandmother’s will call him when he acts up and what stories he will have to tell about it one day.
