Of Dads and Lessons

Duct tape, he said. The cure for most household ailments is duct tape. Leaky pipe. Pet hair on the sofa cushions. Stubborn wart. Pesky flies. Duct tape 'em all.

My father is probably the smartest man I know - duct tape irrelevant. Over the years he's imparted pearls of wisdom that transcend any and all basic boding issues. During this weekend when we pay homage to that parental purveyor of love and lessons far and wide, I can't help but recall the oh-so many nuggets of knowledge my dad passed along to me over the years. These included, but were not limited to the likes of:

Assume the sole objective of every other car on the road is to crash directly into yours. 

Nobody ever said life was easy / fair / fun.

There's a difference between napping and just resting your eyes.

If you need to know where anything in the house is kept, ask your mother.

Hard work never killed anyone. (which indirectly contradicts) There's a special place in heaven for hard workers.

Money doesn't grow on trees. (which also sorta contradicts) Keep the change.

An honest man is a man of virtue.

Yes, you can stay up past your bedtime, but don't tell your mother. 

You do not actually need to own a kite when someone suggests you go fly one.

They don't make movies / books / cars / music and /or pretty much anything else on earth like they used to.

Naturally back in Dad's "day" times were always tougher than they are now - what with all that walking uphill everywhere, both ways, of course. And kids back then had much more good sense. They didn't fork over boatloads of cash for brand new clothes with holes in them. Nor did they spend any free time indoors. (Internet? What internet?) They were never bored. They had games like Stickball which apparently kept them entertained long beyond the nano-second of today's youth. Kids back then knew a thing or two about respect and the most they were entitled to was a good beating if they dared step out of line. Only a dad can recall with fondness the days of "strap" discipline.

But what I think about most are the things I learned from my father when he didn't know I was watching.

Compassion makes the man. And the woman.

Never underestimate the power of the sense of humor.

Real men are strong enough to lift you up off the ground and gentle enough not to ruffle a hair doing so. 

Unconditional love isn't a mythological condition.

This thing called life isn't nearly as scary when your dad is in it.

Happy Father's Day, to the sweet and special man who helped raise me, and to fathers out there everywhere.