Monday, June 22, 2020

With You There To Help Me - Father's Day 2020

With You There To Help Me 

We celebrated Father's Day on Sunday.

It started with my Sunday usual, a four-hour trek on the radio. We had a lot of laughs and goofiness between the serious stories that intersect sports and society. And we told a few of our favorite memories growing up --- like getting carried off a football field by your father like a sack of potatoes after having an opponent twist your leg at the bottom of a pile.

Yeah, good times. I naturally gravitated back to those early concert experiences (Jethro Tull very early on) and the eclectic musical choices of the downstairs bar. When home decompressing from his shifts and scrawling numbers and notes into legal pads, my dad would work the record player. And the range was amazing - pivoting between Tull, Willie Nelson, Pink Floyd, Beatles and Stones, and all of the classic singer-songwriters.

I'll always regret not being more proactive in starting dialogues as a kid. Much left unsaid and questions unasked. But we communicated and commiserated through song. And there were plenty of lessons learned about care, consideration and work ethic. And I got louder (see the 24 hours each week on the radio).

And I'm a lot louder in the day-to-day as well. I'm sure my daughters wish the questions and comedy bits would back off at times, particularly when friends are over.

The lockdown during Covid-19 has been a blessing in my respects - for me, anyway. I'm sure they'd have been thrilled to keep moving in practices, workouts and rehearsals. Hell, they've both asked about just continuing the school year given restrictions on activities.

We still got a final recital in on Father's Day, and a bunch of time munching on snacks and watching silly television and movies. And hearing them giggling together over TikTok videos while watching "The Office" was everything.

The roller coasters of emotions and thoughts stop for a minute. Everything's right with the world. 




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