Day #323
I’ve never driven up Grape Vine Hill outside L.A. in a Hot Rod Lincoln listening to Commander Cody on the radio, but I’m sure there were plenty of times my father was unhappy with me. Thankfully not to a point that drove him to drink.
He was a bit short on patience. I normally had to ask twice to get him to play catch with me in the back yard. Often, if I threw the ball too high or too low, he would simply say we were done. Thankfully now we have the internet to teach us skills and we no longer have to rely on our parents exclusively when it comes to learning.
He had a basic workshop in the garage which as a kid I thought was very cool. As I got older he even let me use his tools to build things, nothing extraordinary. In fact, looking back now I can’t remember anything that I built even though I was out in his shop quit often. I learned a love of construction that I have taken to a higher lever than he did (which I did partly out of spite). That said, I think he would still be proud of me.
Was he a great father? Probably not the best, but he still gave me many gifts that I hold dear to this day. Most of all, I learned from him what it takes to be a good father — at least by comparison. It is without reservation that I thank him for that. I think that would make him proud too.
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