It’s my first Father’s Day since my Dad passed away in January. I’m thinking of him today. Funny how, after time passes, whats left aren’t the bad things from decades ago. Only the good memories.
My Dad was a prolific purveyor of sayings. So much so that when my brother, Todd, was writing a script he’d call my Dad to harvest them. They rolled of his tongue in casual conversation in the tradition of good story telling.
‘How you doin, Dad?’ ‘Oh. Finer than frog-hair. If I were any better I’d be dead.’
‘If he were any dumber he’d be a half-wit.’
‘Like closing the barn door after the horse got out’
‘He ran like a bat outta Hell’
‘He looks like ten miles of bad road’
‘Thats doesn’t amount to a hill of beans’
‘That might be but People in Hell want ice water’
We learned to count money differently than other kids. ‘Two bits’ = a quarter. ‘Four bits =… well you get it. Or it could mean something had no value ‘Thats not worth two bits.’
My Dad was abandoned by his Father at 5 yrs old. He grew up beaten by alcoholic brutal step fathers, then dropped out of high school and drove long haul truck at 15 during WWII. He never saw nor experienced a moment of what a good Father looked like growing up. Its no wonder he struggled with the role himself.
But he could fix anything. And built all our Homecoming floats in high School with Mr. Taylor next door. He even welded on the original Monorail at Disneyland in Southern California. My Dad wasn’t a day to day kind of guy. But when something big happened he had the coolest head in the room. My sister and I always said if we got pregnant in HS it would be Dad we’d go to. Luckily, that never happened. Whew!
In the end, I loved him and I’m remembering him today and smiling. This video is for you, Dad. And all those whose Fathers are no longer with us
This morning in Valencia, in a summer without all the processions we are used to in the neighborhood multiple times a week – with full marching bands – this trumpet player is keeping his lip ready to go. All the celestial trumpeters in heaven are welcome to join in. Happy Father’s Day, Pop.
Viva Espana 