"Parent's Day?"

You know, I say that we get rid of Mother's and Father's Day from the American lexicon.

You wanna know why? It's disingenuous and obligitory.

It's like "St. Patrick's Day"... it isn't a genuine cultural reflection of respect, but a way of paying lip-service to people that should automatically get respect if they put in a true and honest effort in your life.

My Father is one of those people for me. I learned a lot from him, often without even thinking about it.... but really, isn't that the best kind of instruction one can receive?

The best teachers often educate you without your knowledge... and Father's are the masters of that art form. Most Fathers have a respect for their kids that often defies the understanding of their children, hence why they are blunt in their advice and counsel. A Father doesn't deal in hypotheticals, they deal in fact... facts that they have learned the hard way, and impart on their children in the hopes that they will not fall prey to as they mature.

Here's a perfect example: In the summer of '87, I was visiting my Dad in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and an episode of "China Lake" came on, where the girls out-smarted the guys by tricking them into thinking that they were trading shots of Tequilla, when in reality, the girls were taking shots of mineral water. The scene cuts to the next morning, and the guys are all suffering from massive hang-overs, and the girls admit to their deception... just to show who's the smartest.

I turned to my Dad, while sitting on one of the two antique Barbershop chairs in his living room, and I asked him, "Dad, why would someone do that?" He turned to me and said, "Son, some people need a crutch..."

I have dozens of memories like that, of my Dad laying it all out like I was a man, when I was just a kid; sowing seeds that would develop into plants of wisdom later in life... in other words, he did a great job.

I didn't get to spend that much time with my Father growing up, as his obligations to his country as a Marine had to take precedence in his life, and had since long before I was born. My Father is an honorable man, who believes in the military tenets of Honor, Fidelity and Duty. Such a set of values isn't as vaunted as it once was, but to me, it was always important to know that my Father served something greater then himself, and did so, despite the personal hardships that it visited upon him, for two decades.

Who else would so readily make such a sacrifice? And, who else gets just one, measly day to be honored than a Father? A crappy tie and a card isn't enough, and it never will be... so I write this as my personal Father's Day card.

I know you're reading this, Dad. I know who reads my Blog, and although we may not agree on many thing political, I still Love You, and I look forward to seeing you when me and Jen drive cross-country from Ohio to California.

Give Carol a hug for me, and enjoy a Mountain Dew on me... congratulations, you put half in on a man.

I Love You, and have a great weekend.


Todd