My dad really was cool

I read back through yesterday's blog. I may have made my Dad sound like a dead beat. We all get into a place where we think we are doing the right thing. He was not dead beat. He allowed the powers that were to pressure him into forsaking his family. I remember at age about six thinking, "Who is this guy who sleeps here?" He was not forsaking us on purpose. He really thought he was doing the right thing. Not until the shit hit the fan when I was about fifteen did he do a 180 degree turn.

He and my Mom were the people who loved the people nobody else wanted to love. It would bug the crap out of my brother and I. The unlovely people at our house often. He went out of his way to help people. He would make convert, as it were, operations out of the baptist bubble we were in. "Don't touch the things of the world or be stained by it!" It was a very separatist mentality. No one had non christian friends. Everything was done apart from the world inside a bubble of christian people.

My Dad was great man who died too soon. He had so much more to give. I miss him.

Who is my hero?

I had a really great exchange with a high school friend of mine. My dad was always my teacher and sometimes my principal. Over the years, I have been told how much my Dad meant to his students and how he changed their lives. This person said that my Dad was one of his heroes. I am so intrigued by this. I was too close to my Dad to see the side other people saw. I really can't think of some one who is my hero. My wife is my hero. Without her I would be all washed up I think.

It's wonderful to be in love. One moment you feel so close to your partner, the next you can't get far enough away. Yet you know you will always be there for each other. What a wonderful ride! If you find true love you find a wonderful thing.

But back to my Dad. My children deserve to see the side of me that other people see. Maybe they don't see anything and I am in a delusion. The point is is that I want my children to think of me as their hero. My Dad became a great dad after he realized he was putting everything of himself into a system that was cruel and anti-family. I was 16. My older brother was all but gone out of the house. Dad died in 2000. Oh the wasted years. I don't want to do that. The best thing we as George's children can do, is to learn from his life. There is so much richness there. Make the right choices early in your life. Well, I am going to go play with my kids...

A good day, but....

We had a great Thankgiving. It was a good day, But...my wife had to work. She will have Christmas off, though. that's good.

The holidays are here...

I had some really profound things to say, but my boys interrupted my thoughts with fighting, wanting a drink, and trying to find the remote to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Thus is fatherhood.

I put the Nutcracker Suite into the DVD player. Thoughts of my childhood flooded my mind. My Dad would play that every Christmas. I think he took us once to see the ballet. I remember going with a girl in my class my junior year in high school to see The Nutcracker in Erie, PA on a date. The crush was terribly one sided. Any way...I was watching my boys (My daughter was in her room reading the "Twilight" series, go figure) dance around to the music. My Dad, George, would have so enjoyed his grandsons. He would have been 69 this December 5.

As the holidays come, families will no doubt get together and enjoy each other. Other families not so much. I have been thinking a lot lately about the short time we have here. Life goes so fast. I hear stories of terribly selfish, self absorbed parents full of silly hang ups ruining their children's lives. There are also people like my wonderful Mother, Ann Mullikin, who lives simply so she can travel to see all of her children and grandchildren often. She is selfless to a fault at times. What a wonderful Mother. I love you very much Mom. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for me.

What ever your situation this holiday season remember this. Life is so short. Forgive each other. Start fresh. It is never too late. If there is nothing to forgive, just enjoy the wonderful time together. Put away your hang ups. Take a cup of cheer together. Find the goodness in each other. Gosh, I sound like Polyanna.

Have a wonderful Thankgiving...Pete

All new

Well, I have a buddy that blogs. I read him often and wanted to comment on one of his blogs. I had to sign up to do so, and it was one step further to create my own blog. I don't know if I'll have anything to say of any concern. I guess some one would be interested. More later.