The Life and Times of Big Blue

In the 70’s there was a popular sitcom on television called “All in the Family.” It featured an iconic character, Archie Bunker. He was uninformed, hidebound and generally ridiculous but seemed to have enough soft spots to make him endearing. One soft spot that I remember was for a chair. It was a simple chair, but the one he always sat in. Edith, his wife, decided one day that they needed to get rid of it. Hijinks ensued and in the end he kept it, because his life was in the chair, he had held his baby daughter in the chair and watched memorable football games in the chair, etc. We retired a similar chair this week.

Big Blue is a large Laze-boy recliner/rocker that has been in our family room for 12 years or so. It replaced another blue recliner rocker that my Dad pulled the arms off of while trying to get out of it (yes, I was annoyed). At first, I didn’t like the new chair. It was larger than the original and I felt a little lost in it. However, time went by and the extra size was welcome. Blondie and I could snuggle a little in it together, it was perfect for holding small children on your lap in, and I could sleep in the chair. This became probably it’s biggest attraction.

I recovered from two bouts of cancer and one gall bladder operation in that chair. My ability to sleep in it, was a great blessing. Lying down in bed after major surgery is problematic. The laying down is not the issue, it’s the getting up. It is very painful. If I could stay in the chair, getting up is not such a big deal, you just rock forward and the back of the chair supports you. This was particularly helpful with the kidney cancer, since the incision was in my back.

As grand children have come along, we have rocked them in Big Blue and they too have slept in the chair. Many meals have been eaten in the chair and many Bronco games watched. Many Sunday afternoons have been spent in the chair, napping or reading. It has been a great chair.

This week one of the springs broke underneath and the reclining mechanism is threatening to poke up through the seat. So, sadly we replaced the chair with two new leather recliners. Blonde says they are colder than Big Blue, which was fabric covered, but I like them. We will need new names for the chairs. My daughter has suggested Dino and Saur, I like Minotaur and Elsie. Any other suggestions?