(Newser) – One sad, burger-cooking grandpa took the Internet by storm this week, inspiring everything from amusing memes to death threats, US Magazine reports. It all started Wednesday when Kelsey Harmon, a college softball player from Oklahoma, dropped in for a meal with her papaw. "Dinner with papaw tonight…he made 12 burgers for all 6 grandkids and I’m the only one who showed,” she tweeted , along with a photo of her papaw dejectedly eating a burger. Harmon tells BuzzFeed her papaw decided to have her and her cousins over while they were home for spring break. He even made their favorite homemade ice cream. "I could tell he was disappointed," she says. But while she and her papaw ate alone, her tweet went viral.
Within 24 hours, it had 70,000 retweets and 110,000 likes. Harmon's papaw was suddenly a meme (examples
here ,
here , and
here ). Even Montel Williams
got in on the action,
Today reports. People got so invested in the well-being of Harmon's papaw, they started
tweeting death threats to her MIA cousins. Her papaw's new Internet fame was even enough to convince another grandchild to belatedly
show up for a burger . Harmon tells BuzzFeed her papaw appreciates all the kind words and support from the Internet. And she thinks some good may have actually come out of a very silly situation. "I've also had many, many messages telling me my post encouraged people everywhere to visit their grandparents," she
tweeted . "And that means so much to me."
http://www.newser.com/story/222280/lonely-burger-eating-papaw-gives-the-internet-a-sad.html?utm_source=part&utm_medium=earthlink&utm_campaign=rss_topnews
Asshole ungrateful grand kids!!!
I would give much for a chance to sit down for burgers at either of my parents or grandparents again. People reach a certain age and then the kids forget them...until the Will that is.
I'm with you on that. It is like being disconnected from the world when your parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents are gone. I have cousins I've not been in touch with for almost a half century. At least I have my older brother, and our relationship grew stronger when all other ancestors were gone. However, I am most thankful to have my children and grandchildren, although now I never get to see them except over the internet.
With all due respect to whomever, this is horrendous drivel.
The story of what happened is so poorly told the reader has to use their imagination to fill in the blanks of the narrative.
This is what is going wrong with this world. People getting all worked up about ... what?
Did grandpa invite six grandchildren individually and did they all tell him they were coming and then not show? Who knows? Were the grandfather's feelings really hurt so much that the world has to get involved? again, who knows?
Did grandpa invite six grandchildren individually and did they all tell him they were coming and then not show?
That would be my guess (otherwise why make 12 burgers?) so at the very least the other grandchildren are assholes for not showing up. Of course I'm still a little raw from my mother dying New Years Eve and many of the kids visited little or did anything for her. She was lonely and I had her visit out here and offered (begged) for her to move in with us. I also remember when my dad was dying of lung cancer and he was living on his own, but none of the other kids every went over to his place to visit. My mother and two other of his ex-wives were over to his place, individually and together, at least two or three times a week. My mother told me he used to cry and ask why none of his kids ever showed up, when she and her late husband had him over for dinner. Too many kids and grand-kids reach a certain age and forget they have parents or (if lucky) still grandparents. Too many older people, even ones with large families, are lonely and there is no excuse for it. That's the true meaning of the story Charlie Brown.
Well, what you say is true, but imo it is still no excuse for a poorly written story that starts the internet on fire. We still don't even know if the six grandchildren were actually guilty of anything.
Did grandpa just assume they were coming, for some reason, when they had not said they were? who knows?
Did they totally snub him? again it is not clear
Even if the story is allegorical only, it makes a point and reminds others of the importance of maintaining familial relationships. Perhaps, John, you are not a grandparent - but for those of us who are, it is an important message.
What business is it of the rest of the world whether or not this man has a good relationship with his grandchildren ?
We are becoming acclimated to seeing thousands or millions of strangers stick their nose into someone else's business. It isn't right.
As I said - think of it as an allegory, a lesson or moral such as one learns from a fable.
I once saw a photo (of no importance as to whether it was posed or not) of an elderly grandmother visited by about 6 grandchildren, all of whom were focused on their cellphones. I see such a lesson in that.
Perhaps, John, you are not a grandparent - but for those of us who are, it is an important message.
It is. It really is.
It isn't right.
I completely disagree.
Did they totally snub him? again it is not clear
Based on the fact that one did show up and he made 12 burgers, I don't see any other way to read it.
And to my grandkids, I leave the following:
Jenny - all my worldly possessions
Amy - two burgers
Jeff - two burgers
Scott - two burgers
Allison - two burgers
Steve - two burgers
Your form of will definitely will cause a family battle. You can't leave burgers to some kids and "all my worldly possessions" to only one of them - conflict alert.
Actually I have since seen a video of him admitting that there could have been a communication problem in that all the kids did not get his invitation. That was followed up by all the kids showing up, one taking him to a ball game where another of kids was playing. So this was a tempest in a teapot.
Well, that's the problem with using social media to air your private problems. I wish America would wake up to that. By the time you figure out that you were wrong, 50,000 strangers have judged you right and berated your person(s) of conflict to the point of wanting to commit suicide.
I have never had a facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. account, and I doubt I ever will (much to the chagrin of my kids, who seem to be addicted to facebook.) I don't think I'm a good candidate for it, since I can be opinionated and tend to jump to conclusions that aren't always right. I'll stick with the general anonymity that NT provides.
Anyways, my will comment was meant in jest. I'm sure this guy had many years worth of better experiences with his grandkids, or else he wouldn't be inviting them over for burgers in the first place. However, I'm the type of guy who would make a joke out of the misunderstanding by putting that comment on next years Christmas card.
Your form of will definitely will cause a family battle. You can't leave burgers to some kids and "all my worldly possessions" to only one of them - conflict alert.
My wife is leaving all of her worldly possession to me, except for 36 cents that she wants me to send to one of her daughters. Apparently they are not on very good terms.
Let's hope the burger's were made with the same ingredients Mcdonald's uses so they will keep forever......