When You Thought I Wasn't Paying Attention, I Was

When I write about my parents in Suburban Zen, I usually write about my mom. I've been hearing from readers lately though, how much they love it when my dad pipes with his frequent, lengthy, sometimes even relevant commentary. Father's Day seems like a good day to give my dad his very own post.

Mark Twain once said that when he was 17 he couldn't believe how foolish his father was, and when he turned 21 he was amazed at how much his father had learned in the short course of four years.

As I reflect on my adult life, I realize many of the lessons I learned from my dad are from my childhood, and not lessons he actively tried to teach me. He just lived them and they somehow penetrated and stuck. Lessons like:

• Work hard so you can play hard.
• Take responsibility for yourself and your actions.
• You can be fun and funny, and still be in charge. Nobody can make me laugh like my dad can, but my sister and I always knew when it was time to be serious and listen. Not that we always did, but we knew we were supposed to.
• It's OK to make a mess, in fact it's good for you. As long as you clean up after yourself when you're done.
• Value people more than things. The only time dad got really mad at my sister and me was when we fought with each other, or hurt our mom's feelings. (Sorry, mom. we didn't mean it.)
• When you pass by a Dairy Queen, always stop for an ice cream cone unless you have one in your hand already.
• Always take pride in the house you live in. Even in the early days when we rented a house behind a gas station, my dad was proud of and grateful for what we had.
• If you feel like wearing an orange leisure suit, wear it. And let people take all the pictures they want.

Thanks, dad. I hope Andie, Jack and Katie are soaking up some of that second-hand wisdom from me. I know for sure they've picked up on the one about Dairy Queen.

Print this post