Reading Frosty’s blog entry the other day about his father’s top ten favorite things had me pondering my own father’s top ten things. He passed 19 ½ years ago so it has been a long time since I have witnessed any of them. Consequently, I feel like this is a good exercise.
#10 Trains. Dad loved all different train lines and loved to
visit them all over the country. As a family, we have been known to hike to a
remote tunnel that has trains trapped in them as a result of the tunnel caving
in. I have vivid memories of that day.
#9 Model Trains. Big train people and model train people
often overlap, but not always. And
certainly these two hobbies had different outlets. Dad loving model trains meant that half of
our basement was devoted to a model train layout, train paraphernalia, building
equipment, etc. It also meant that when
he passed, I inherited a collection of unusual tools that you would never
expect a random person to have in their garage – like dentistry tools and all
sorts of teeny tiny gadgets. Believe it
or not, they have come in handy.
#8 Scotch and Milk, my father’s go to drink. If there was ice in his milk, I knew I could
not have a sip because it was definitely spiked.
#7 History. More
specifically, the Civil War. Dad was
always watching programs and reading books about wars. He also read a lot about WWII, in which he
served (as well as the Korean War). I
always wondered if his diligent attention to this particular subject matter
was some sort of coping mechanism for having been called to serve, twice.
#6 Our beautiful country.
Each summer, my family would travel cross country via our van and
trailer (occasionally venturing into Mexico or Canada). Dad always said we have
so much to see in the US, why do we need to go elsewhere. As a result, I am the
only person I know who had been to 47/50 states by the time they were 19 years
old. (And yes, I subsequently visited the other three.)
#5 Being a firefighter.
Dad was on the job for 39 years in NYC and retired as a Fire Marshall. I
think he really valued that brotherhood and the community that came with it.
#4 Cooking and eating.
No question, my father was a messy cook but he was a good one. He cooked
lots of German dishes and also loved to cook for his firehouse. There are a few
things that he loved that I hated as a child – cantaloupe and nuts for example
– that I now actually love. Except
liverwurst. That is never happening.
#3 Camping. This one
kind of goes with the cross-country travel but not necessarily. We often went camping for a long weekend in
the woods upstate or out at the beach during off-season.
#2 Talking with people.
Dad was always up for a good conversation – with people he knew well or
with strangers. In fact, part of the
draw to camping was to be able to share a campfire with neighbors. Many people have told me over the years that
my father was so knowledgeable and interesting to talk to.
#1 His grandkids. Of
course, Dad loved his family. And he
always used to say he enjoyed his friends, but it was more important for him to
spend time with his family. When his two
grandchildren came along, he was absolutely thrilled. He loved to play with them and was always
game to be silly with them. I will never
forget the time he and my mom danced around the living room to entertain my
son, with Dad playing a toy ukulele and sporting a kiddie cowboy hat. Or when
he entertained my daughter on his lap for the entirety of a very long and
crowded Christmas mass.
Thanks, Dad, for the memories.
Eve
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