Happy Dad's Day

WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD

“The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get.”

-Tim Russert

“Daddies don’t just love their children every now and then.  It’s a love without end, amen.”

-George Strait

“Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope.”

-Bill Cosby

            It is on this day that we reflect on how much our dads mean to us.  How sad it is that we must be reminded.  My own father certainly merits a great deal of appreciation but my ponderings on Father’s Day exceed the normal “Gaw, I really like him.  I think I’ll keep him around for a bit longer.” No on this day each year, I am reminded of how much my dad has taught me.  I have learned more from Craig Hollingsworth than one could ever hope to learn from a teacher or textbook.  Plus his knowledge is useful.  He taught me that the louder you get, the more right you sound; that lids and straws are useless inventions for pansies; and that my mother is the most beautiful woman in the whole world.  (When asked, “Dad, who do you think the prettiest actress is,” he responded without hesitation, “Andy McDowell but she ain’t got nothing on your mom.” Smart man.) 

            My dad and I have a lot of things in common so I guess that means I’m pretty great too J but besides our strikingly good looks and blatant disregard for authority and dislike of extreme heat, we fight the same.  I was reminded of this earlier this week when my dad called to ream me for getting my car towed.  I realized later that he was fighting for me instead of against me but when I got off the phone, even in my anger, I couldn’t help but laugh.  Whit isn’t much for fighting so I think my dad must not have known what to do with me when he found out I was a fighter just like him.  He is constantly pushing for law school because “Kane, you’re such a good arguer,” which we all know is code for, “You’re kind of scary and also a little bit of a jerk so I think you could intimidate people into thinking you’re right.”  That’s probably true.  Anyways I laughed at our phone fight because neither one of us can win. Ever.  He’s created a monster and neither one of us know how to beat the other out because we have the same technique.   There is a silver lining to our nonsense though and it is this: we fight for what we feel for and while we are often irrational and quick to jump the gun, we defend those we love and what we believe in. 

            I’d be up a creek without a paddle without you, Dad.  Surely I would have no stable furniture, functioning machines, and I would most definitely have exploded my tires without the knowledge of a pressure gauge and its function.  I’d look like a real tool on a bike and roller blades and I would drink vile beer.  So here’s to you and our brand of crazy.  Don’t change a thing. Except maybe the cargo shorts.  And I wouldn’t hate to see the visors go. 

Ricky Bobby Prayer
Bigfoot Spotted. Nuff said.

            Love ya, miss ya, mean it.

Kwai Chang Ding Dang Fling Flang Caine