What a creative person can do with some PVC pipe and colored tape
Harry didn’t do arts and crafts, per se, but as the handmade cane in this picture proves, he was a very creative fellow. In 1998 when he needed a cane, he didn’t like any of the commercial ones available because they were either too short or not sturdy enough, so he decided to make his own using PVC pipe. He was no stranger to working with PVC pipe, so he simply bought a length of pipe, cut it to the proper height, glued on some elbow joints to form a handle, and added crutch tips on both open ends.
The next year, still a kid at heart at 71, he got the idea of turning his cane into a Christmas Candy Cane by twining red and green tape around it. As he made the rounds in town with his cane — to the grocery store, drug store, post office, banks, doctor’s offices, and particularly to the hospital when he went for tests or medical procedures — he always brought smiles from everyone who saw it. Even before he decorated the cane for Christmas, it always sparked interesting conversations with strangers, including more than one plumber who commented on his creativity.
Several people asked if he would make a cane for them, but he always said no, figuring he didn’t need the kind of liability problems such a product might have. He needn’t have worried, though; I can’t think of anything that would have broken that cane.
More than anything, I think this picture captures Harry’s enduring spirit and personality in his later years. If he were here today, I’m sure he’d give you a hello wave and a thank-you for stopping by, as do I.
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Tags: Harry Brabec
