Happy Father's Day

[rdprdp01]

Although I have not had the good fortune to meet any of your children, I am sure they would report that you are a great father.

My father was a man of his time. He was born in 1930, at the onset of the Great Depression. His mother passed away a few weeks after giving birth to him, and his father worked himself to death on a farm in the Texas Hill Country. My father was raised by my great-grandparents and his aunt. There was never a boy more cherished or adored than my father.

He loved cruiser motorcycles and fast cars. In his late teens, he left motorcycling behind following a minor accident on his Indian Chief. Years later, I asked him if he was frightened by the experience. He told me no. The reason was simple: "None of the pretty girls would get on the back of the bike after they heard about the slide I took." I suspect my great-grandmother also influenced the decision. She never cared much for her fun-loving, high-spirited grandson to ride "one of those loud motorcycle things."

My father joined the military and served in Europe, Japan, and Korea. He earned the nickname "Bull," and it would not surprise me if I have some brothers and sisters scattered about Austria, France, Germany, Korea, and Japan.

My earliest memories of my Dad involve working on cars with him. Officers would bring their cars to our house, and the "Master Sergeant and his cute kid" would tune them up and fix them. I knew what a Phillips-head #2 screwdriver was before I went to kindergarten.

My father thought I took things far too seriously and did not set aside enough time for fun. He may be right. But I learned a lot from him, even if I am a little tamer. Happy Father's Day to everyone, and if you care to share something about your Dad or your experience as a Dad, I am sure the other members of the Forum will celebrate the moment with you.