Almost a decade ago, I was a sophomore in college and I found myself contemplating how I’d come to be in my the particular life situation — living in Hawaii, getting a solid university education, winning friends and influencing people, using Apple devices, running on the beach every morning… And I realized I could trace every one of those aspects of my life to one person: my cool uncle Spence. So I wrote a bit about him. Since then, I have nearly 10 years of additional experiences to add, so I’ve decided to make a second edition in honor of Uncle Spence’s 43rd birthday.
Since my last formal tribute to Uncle Spence, I can confidently say he’s only gotten cooler. (He likes to say he peaked in 10th grade, but that’s false. He’s been on a positive streak since 1976.) After I graduated and moved back to Utah to begin my life as a full-fledged adult, Uncle Spence helped me snag the worst living situation ever, leading me to lifelong friends and the best neighborhood in SL. He soon thereafter helped me find the BEST living situation ever, because Spence cares. He noticed that our landlady was essentially running an illegal operation, and found me an amazing spot just down the road. He also let me live with him until my first housing contract began, which was a total blast.
Beyond leading me to an amazing and miraculously inexpensive house, Spence also dramatically improved my social life by coaching me on being honest and respectful to myself and others (e.g. setting boundaries and being true to myself). He helped me practice turning down dates so I could be prepared for those uncomfortable situations, and helped me compose dozens of respectfully honest texts to boys when I wasn’t feeling it but didn’t want to make anyone feel bad. I am so grateful for Spence’s help navigating that rough phase of my life. (#mid20s amIright?)
During the time that Spence and I were close neighbors, I used to regularly finish my morning runs at his house. If his black truck was in the driveway, then I’d often stop in just to chat. Spence is never not fun to talk to. He always has interesting ideas to share, along with expert advice to give.
He graciously added me to his Costco membership, and was a total lifeline for me while I was living in Salt Lake. One day on my way home from work I went around a corner too fast, and two of my tires exploded!! I called Spence, he rescued me, took me to Costco, bought me new tires, and then vacuumed my car. I don’t think I would’ve survived my first years of teaching without him. He regularly took me to dinner (often Pizzeria Limone or Zao) and was pretty much my guardian angel as I navigated adulthood.
Uncle Spence was instantly my Spencer’s favorite uncle. When we started dating, Uncle Spence took us to the fanciest restaurant we’d ever been to, and let us order whatever we wanted! He was SO KIND and interested in Spencer, which is totally classic Spence. And he’s still kind and interested in Spencer!! He gave us probably our favorite wedding gift: VIP tickets to see Wicked. It was an absolutely unforgettable experience, all thanks to Uncle Spence.
We got to hang out with Spence in England recently, and he quietly took pretty great care of us, unexpectedly covering groceries and gas and food and lodging multiple times. Spence is unendingly generous. Which reminds me that when I see him, he’s often just been helping someone. I feel like he spends most of his time helping others. We had so much fun driving around the English countryside with him, learning about the ever-developing Rocky Mountain Power company.
Another cool thing about Spence is he’s totally into family history. I aspire to be that way, so I called him the other day to ask about an ancestor, and he had several stories right off the cuff! He’s connected to all parts of his family, as different from him as they may be, because you can’t help but want to be connected to Spence. He helped us track down some graves of ancestors in England by teaching us a cool family search feature.
Speaking of, let’s not forget how techy he is. Always with the newest iPhone, etc. I often call him with questions about my phone or other app recommendations, because I trust him and his opinions implicitly. It seems like he’s knowledgeable about pretty much everything. If Spence is doing it, we probably all should be.
I love and respect my uncle Spence with all my heart. I am so grateful for his help and guidance through my mid 20s, and I hope that connection can continue as I step into this next phase of my life. Which is actually a new phase of life for Spence too, because he will become a Great Uncle!!! #GreatUncleSpence <– let’s get that trending