Father's Day

It's hard for me to understand why some fathers won't have anything to do with their children and some children won't have anything to do with their fathers. It's not my place to judge, so I won't. It's just disheartening to me to see this so often. Perhaps it's because when it comes to fathers, I had one of the best ones anyone could ever ask for. He wasn't perfect, but we always had everything we needed. I remember a time in fifth grade when I got my first pair of Nike tennis shoes. Up until that point, I had only had low cost department store shoes. I was thrilled! I walked into school with my head held high for the first time. That was until I was ridiculed by a jock for not having the "right kind" of Nikes. Children can be cruel, I get that. But I got home that day a mopey mess. Pops asked me what was wrong and I told him that I didn't understand why even after having these nice sneakers, people still gave me shit. (Obviously, as a fifth grader, I didn't word it like that but you get the point) He told me that in life, you're going to have to deal with terminal assholes and that you couldn't please everyone. In a sense, I walked away from our talk with the "Fuck em'" ideal that I still carry with me today. I also walked away from that situation with an intense dislike of the jock types. I continued to have problems with those cock washers all the way through high school. Even to this day, I can't stand those uppity fucks. Some of those types never grew up. I still have a run in with them occasionally, but it never escalates like it used to because I have 13 rounds of jock-off and a trigger finger that allows me to put said rounds where I aim them at any given moment. God bless America. I simply took my father's words and expanded them. You can't please everyone, but you can shoot them in the face if they want to beat you up over your sneakers. :)

It really isn't about money. I know that now. It's important for sure, but the world has enough absentee fathers who give their children a bank roll then go golfing. That's not what's important. You don't realize it until he's gone, but your heart will be sore every time you go and do something that you used to do together. Lord knows I'd give anything to go fishing with Pops just one more time. Imparting wisdom that only calloused hands and hard luck can teach. The joy of sitting on a river bank eating Slim Jims and casting lines were some of the best times of my life. It's been a little over four years and I still miss him dearly. I am eternally grateful to have had him in my life. Now all I have on father's day are great memories and a fierce honor that only he could've given me. That'll have to do until I meet him on the other side. So I guess my advice is that if you have a great father, then give him more than one day a year. You'll be a better person for it.