Happy Father's Day to those who have been lucky enough to be fathers! When I look back to how important my dad was in my life I am very thankful for having a dad who taught me so many things. While no longer living, I miss being able to bounce ideas and problems off him. How lucky some of us are to have fathers who took an interest in our lives.
Randy
I spent a lot of time with my dad while I was growing up, assisting him in the small engine shop based in our garage. More often than not, I felt I was a conscript and was being held against my will. Although I received a commission for what I did, I remember that I would have much rather been hanging with my friends than working on those nice summer days and evenings.
What I took away from those times were life lessons that I learned from Dad regarding how engines work, how to sharpen the blades, logical, methodical troubleshooting of recalcitrant devices and most of all, patience. Those small engines did not always respond the way they should. It was not always easy to figure out why.
Many of those lessons translated in later life to my interest in more complex mechanical devices like cars, bicycles, watches, airplanes, sailboats, computers and more. I like to figure things out.
Other rich memories stem from Dad's propensity to be somewhat of a packrat. He had magazines in neat stacks in the basement. My favorites were the Model Airplane News, Popular Science and Popular Mechanics. Many of the issues dated back to just after WWII.
Countless numbers of my childhood evenings and rainy afternoons were spent in the basement reading those magazines. Among my favorite articles was "Gus Wilson and the Model Garage," probably because Gus was a lot like my Dad. Gus was always cool, calm and collected ( like my Dad) while he solved many a customer's problems with their autos. I learned a lot from my Dad.
Thanks Dad, for all that you did for us and a lot of good memories of that shop, the basement, those magazines and the times you spent with me turning a wrench.
Happy Father's day
Wayne Meier
Very Well put Randy and Wayne. I sure miss my Dad. Its been 4 years and every once in a while it still hits me like a ton of bricks. I don't know if I'll ever do it but I'm striving to be as good a dad to my kids as he was to me. Wishing all Fathers out there a good day. Hope you can log a few hours too. Greg
I get more Mothers Day cards than I do Fathers Day cards.....
I spend my professional medical career helping men become biological fathers, and women to become biological mothers, literally. As one who was very lucky to have two great kids, and who sees the pain in the eyes of those who would give anything to experience fatherhood and motherhood, Father's Day and Mother's Day have special significance to me.
The real trick here, though, is not just to be biologically parents, but to fulfill this obligation to the fullest. I read posts here on supercub.org by parents, see the tremendous experience many of you have as fathers or stepfathers and it is heart-warming...it keeps me going.
For those of you who are not parents and have chosen other ways of satisfying that need by being terrific uncles/aunts or by taking young people under their wing and being a mentor, I salute you. These young people need us...one cannot have too many people who care about us. Thanks for all you do.
Randy
Well said, Randy. I was the last of five kids - by ten years. When I was in grade school some kids were telling me I must have been adopted because my closest brother was so much older. I, of course, asked my mom if I was adopted and she said, "Does it really matter? I would love and treat you the same either way.". Of course LATER in life it was implied that I was an "accident", when queried about this, she replied "If you were, it was the best mistake I ever made". Gotta love mom logic.
It is with those thoughts in mind that I approach step-fatherdom, although I wish I had 1/2 of my parents genius!
sj
"Often Mistaken, but Never in Doubt"
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