A 10-Year-Old Boy, a Vice President, and a Ride to the Airport

Some stories get more interesting with age. Meet Stan Jacobson, one of my clients at Utah Senior Care Advisors. Stan is now 92 years old, and he still enjoys sharing one of the most remarkable stories from his childhood. In February 1945, when Stan was just 10 years old, his grandfather, Commissioner Rosco Boden, pulled him out of school and told him, “I want you to meet somebody.” They drove to the Newhouse Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City. Stan’s grandfather returned with a gentleman, who climbed into the front seat of their car. Then his grandfather introduced him:“Mister Vice President, I’d like you to meet my grandson.” The man turned around, shook Stan’s hand and said, “Nice to meet you, young man.” That man was Harry Truman, then Vice President of the United States who went on to become quite a successful President himself.What makes the story even more remarkable is how ordinary the encounter was. According to the 2010 Wasatch Rambler article, Truman simply got into the car with Stan and his grandfather and they drove to the airport. There was no elaborate security detail or motorcade. Just a grandfather, his 10-year-old grandson, and the Vice President of the United States. Stan didn't fully appreciate the significance of that moment at the time. He was 10. But 77 years later, he still remembers it. And today, Stan likes to share the newspaper article and the photograph with guests who visit him.That’s one of the things I love about working with older adults. Every person has a history. Sometimes, if we take the time to listen, we discover that the person sitting in front of us has lived through—and witnessed—pieces of history that most of us only read about in books.Stan isn't just 92 years old. He's carrying 92 years of stories. Utah Senior Care Advisors 801-819-9263