[nONIE]

Donna, Just beautiful!

I can feel the pride in your words.

I want to wish all the DADS,grandpas,Uncles, brothers,and all the men in this forum who ever had a part in shaping a childs life a VERY HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

I dont think its ever too late to let the special dads in our lives know how much we love them and appriciate them even if they are no longer with us . My personal belief is they do hear us and they do know how we feel.

bump

[SteveZ]

...A good man who gave me a work ethic and a sense of honor - two of the most important things I've ever received. He taught me that you could be tough without being vicious.

I just got back to TV two days ago (still spliltting time between here and DC) and will visit him where he rests at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell.

[ouma1938]

My Dad was a very tough man but a loving one. I am very much like him. He got along with everyone and knew no strangers. He had about the quivalent of a 3rd grade education having left his home Lithuania when he was 7 (in 1907) and walked across Europe with his family to escape the pogroms in Eastern Europe. They caught the first boat they could, which was going to South Africa, and once there he had to work to help support the family. Despite all that he educated himself and became a pretty successful businessman. It took me years and years to fully understand and appreciate him and I am very grateful that I was able to do it before he died in 1969. I miss him more and more every day and I take comfort from knowing that he knows that I love him and thank him and know he was strict with me because he saw himself in me and knew I needed a strong guiding hand, as he had needed. (My Mom was an old softie! lol) Dad all I am and have done is because you taught me the honestly, love, and self discipline are virtues and self pity, dishonesty, and laziness are to be avoided at all costs. I will always love you and always miss you.

[Muncle]

A little background -- 1959, my dad was a cop, Chief of Detectives and head of narcotics in KC at a time when the only people who did drugs were drummers in jazz bands, at least in my mind. One his duties was to give speeches about the evils of narcotics to various civic groups. We lived in St. Peter's parish, a fairly large area that included a diversity of income groups. We were definitely toward the bottom. During the winter, the parish Holy Name Society had donated warm-up suits to our grade school basketball team. The whole team had to attend the next meeting wearing the warm-ups to thank them. And to my chagrin and total embarrassment, I discovered that dad was to give his narcotics spiel at that meeting.

Now understand, I was a 13 year old know everything. My dad was a high school dropout (something about a fistfight with a Christian Brother) and had, in my opinion, atrocious grammar and a lousy vocabulary. He talked like a stereotypical 30's movie cop. My friends' fathers would all be there, doctors, lawyers, business men. And I knew Dad's "We ain't got no", "he weren't" and "don't have none" expressions were going to be the laughing stock of the school. Not to mention the occasional profanity, okay more than occasional.

We thanked the guys for the jerseys and Dad gave his speech. He showed his case of dope and related implements. He showed his picture of the 500 lb man who hid his stuff taped to the underside of his fat layers. He talked about all the gandies dying on the streets. He admitted that there were cured heroin addicts, all out at St. Mary's cemetery. My gawd was I embarrassed.

Following the speech, I couldn't wait to get out of there. I planned to rush to the front, pack Dad's case, and get him on the road. Imagine my shock when I couldn't get to the front. When questions finally ended, I couldn't get near the head table. All those doctors, lawyers, and businessmen were crowding around the dais, trying to talk to my Dad just a little longer. One gentleman, the father of a friend, stopped me and said, "It never dawned on me that you were John's boy. He's got to be one the best speakers I've ever heard. You must be very proud." What the hell could I say? I guess I did get a bit smarter and grow up a bit more mature than night.

[samhass]

Great story, Muncle. Thanks for sharing. I didn't know it all until I was 17.

I feel like I know everybody a little bit better. Thanks for sharing and keep the memories coming! Thanks again!

[ouma1938]

Thank you mc for starting the thread. It was a great idea and a wonderful Father's Day thread to get involved in.

[redwitch]

Another thanks, mc. I've spent all weekend thinking of my father, sometimes with tears but always with a warm feeling in my heart. So many memories have flooded back of both of my parents and the wonderful gifts they gave me. I owe you a huge hug (at the very least) when you get back down here.

Red and ouma,
Thanks to you for sharing!

[renielarson]

Muncle

Heartwarming story...a wonderful memory to have!

[Lil Dancer]

Its funny the way kids think. When I was younger I was embarrased about my father. He was a musician and a bohemian type of person, although he was a good provider and worked 3 jobs for as long as I can remember to take care of the family. We lived in a factory neighborhood where all the other dads worked at Kodak. I felt like a misfit because my father didn't work at the factory. Of course now that I'm grown, I see what special qualities he had, how he was a free thinker and a creative and artistic person, and how I inheritied those qualities from him and my mother, and I'm grateful. Thanks Mcheleny, for helping us remember. Great topic.

[Hyacinth Bucket]

Hi All,

I have reread all the posts and the first thought that came to my mind was how lucky we all are to have such positive memory of our Fathers.

Not everyone is as fortunate as we are.

HB

I hope I get to meet everybody on here because these memories give me a little insight into people's lives.
HB- you are so right. The longer I taught, the more and more I saw children with absent fathers. :'(

[renielarson]

Lil Dancer

I was avoiding this thread because I also was very embarrassed about my dad. He was a junior high school business, math, typing teacher. He walked to the beat of a different drum. He wasn't concerned about style, being accepted by students, or fitting any mold. He was just himself and very happy who he was.

He wore big wide ties when skinnier ones were more fashionable. In fact, I don't think he ever wore a skinny tie in his life. Junior high kids can be so cruel. They wrote him nasty notes about the way he dressed. I never thought he dressed that badly...he wore slacks, dress shirt and tie to work every day. But the kids focused on his wide ties.

What made me so embarrassed was that his junior high kids and the junior high I went too all joined together in one high school. When classmates found out that I was his daughter, all they could talk about were his ties and how out of fashion he was. They actually told me that generations are not always indicative of previous generations and I had out-shined him by miles....based solely on those darn ties he wore!

Isn't it sad that teenagers focus on such petty things when judging others? All I know is that I was so embarrassed because I was young, naive, and still developing into the person I am today.

Now, as I look back, I appreciate his nonconformity. He definitely had a mind of his own and I think I'm a lot like him.

Ask Susan...I wear mainly skorts...I don't care. She once asked me if that is all I wore. Laughing, I love her soul! Guess I can compare my skorts to my dad's ties.

Let me add my favorite memory...5th birthday...dad kneeling on one knee and sitting me on the other knee then singing "Happy Birthday" to me. That was special! It doesn't take a lot to make me happy or to stamp a memory in my mind.