Tribute to my dad

My father passed away on Dec.28,2007

He was a gentle soft spoken man, not truly speaking a lot unless spoken to or having something worth saying. He was a man who knew ho to have balance in his life, how to care for others, yet still do what he needed to do to be himself. He had a wonderful since of humor and a wonderful since of who he was and of around him. He had the ability to let go and to let others feel at ease in his presence. He was never a drinker nor a drug user. He was an inspiration to those who knew him how to live life to its fullest without the need for booze and drugs to influence his life. yet do not let his clam vane er fool you he was a man who taught me adventure and what it was to have an adventuress soul.

This past Thanksgiving e took my mom a on a Caribbean cruise for two weeks. He always did do his best to spoil her even when they did not have two dimes to rub together. He knew how to make his wife feel important and like she was the center of his world. He was content with the simple beauty of life and had a since of adventure about him which he passed on to me. He loved to get out on the open road and drive whether it be in a semi, motorcycle, car, or SUV. He loved to hunt ,camp, fish, go boating or just sit bye the lakeside fishing pole in hand. He loved roller coasters and funny stories he loved to joke and laugh, and he loved his country music and his gospel hymns. Jeff Foxworthy and Rush Limba were two of the people he listened to and watched the most along with Ex-files and John Wayne movies as well as Clint Eastwood. All this said he was a man who enjoyed his life and brought pleasure to those around him. He taught me to be strong. He taught me to be independent.

I can well remember when I was but ten years old and he took me for my very first dear hunt. I remember it was raining and we were out in the woods camping near an old cow pasture. He sent me out in search of dry wood so we could start a fire quite a task when it is raining out. I remember running across this lump of ‘dead wood’ and proudly carrying it back to him ‘Will this dead wood burn ok dad’? him and his best friend looked at one another grinned then broke into full laughter as they explained ‘Yes it will burn Hun, but I do not think we want to burn it’ you see turns out that what I thought was dead would was in fact a very old dried out pile of cow manure. Then there was the day I got my drivers permit I was so anxious to get behind the wheel and to take off on my adventure into the world of drivers.

I was fifteen when I got my permit and I ahd with my job managed to save enough to buy a old beat up gremlin. The back windshield was busted out and it was quite banged up, and yes it had all kinds of problem for instance it had had to be rebuilt after having rolled down a hill into a lake. My little red Gremlin had a character of its own costing me all of two hundred dollars dad had laughed at my choice of cars. The transmission was not even the right one and the linkage had to be put in backwards so that park was now at the bottom of the column instead of the top like it should be and you could start it with a screw driver it had a salvage title. My dag always up to the challenge of reigning in his ‘Little ANGEL’ made me slow down my enthusiasm upon telling me before I was to be allowed behind the wheel of the car I had to rotate all for tire on the car and learn to check all my fluid levels and check all my hoses and belts to be sure they were safe and free of any dry rot or leaks. I told my dad ‘that is why I love being a girl you just look into some good looking guy’s eyes and say can you help me Hun I’m having car trouble.’ he let me know real quick no daughter of his was going to ever be dependent on a man and let me know that if I was stuck on some country road and that good looking guy was not such a good person I was going to have a tire iron in my hand and know how to use it. He said ‘If that man is intent on harm I want you to be able to hit him upside the head and between the legs and change that tire then get the heck out of there if he is a true gentleman and it to him but be sure which he is first.’ To this day I prefer to get the guy to do it. I like to be treated like a lady doors opened for me and such but it is good knowing I can do anything I have to do, and do not have to have a man in my life to be ok emotionally or physically! For that is the kinda faith and self confidence he gave me in myself. I am a survivor thanks in great part to my dad. Thanks to my dad I have put an alternator, a fuel pump and electric fuel pump, belts and hoses, and brakes on my car when I did not have money to pay for a mechanic for a boyfriend at the time. I still hate working on cars but feels good to know I can if I have too.

My dad taught me to love life. He supported my adventurous soul and taught me I could do/survive anything. Dad not only taught me to hunt, fish, and work on cars, he encouraged my adventures into life. He encouraged me and supported me when I bought my first motorcycle a kz550. He allowed me the freedom to self discovery allowing me to go camping by myself during my early teen years encouraging me to look at who I was and who I wanted to be. He encouraged me to go to WYCC forestry camp, YCC forestry camp him and mom bought me my first flight lesson, he got me scuba lessons when I was but 13 years old, he taught me to horseback ride, swim and love and live life to it fullest. So I thank you dad for all you did for me you are a big part of who I am and what I am today.

The skills and lessons dad taught me have gotten me through more rough times and situations that would tear a lot of people down. The lessons may not have seemed to take hold in my younger years dad, but more than you know they had a lasting effect on my life.