Today being Fathers day, I thought to write something about Dad. I know, surprising isn’t it? Actually my wife suggested that. She suggested I include a picture of my father and I. I’m certain I must have a picture of us together somewhere, but none come to mind. Photographs from the “old” days are rare as we weren’t taking pictures very often. Ours was not a family that took “portraits” or anything like that. A family selfie? That, as far as I know, does not exist.

Yesterday I was talking about what AI had to say about my blogging. I was informed that I am opinionated. I come by that honestly enough as my father was a man of strong opinions as well. The picture I am including of him was taken in 1975, I was twenty two at that time. This picture was taken by a reporter for Newsday, a newspaper popular on Long Island. He was interviewed by that Newspaper in an opinion piece. Yes, they wanted my fathers opinion, and yes, they got it.

I have the article clipped from that paper and have read it with much amusement. The topics covered included the war (ww2) , nuclear weapons, how the times have changed, and the plight of the common man in the Hamptons. As I read that piece I heard my father and I still hear him today. Reading some of my own postings I do sound a great deal like him and share many common opinions. I find that a comfort. Dad was Dad, imperfect, opinionated and sometimes just plain stubborn. Yeah, familair.

Dad passed in 1990, he was just sixty six years old. I still talk to him everyday and hear his voice. My biggest regret is that I never got to know him as just a man, he was always dad. I was in the Navy for twenty years and so didn’t get to spend much time with him. When we did , it was always just a short visit, like company coming and everyone on their best behavior. Never really had an opportunity to talk with him man to man. I wish I had gotten to know him in that way. But perhaps that is for the best, perhaps it is a kindness from above. Dad never disappointed, he remains the “man.”

The man, the myth and the legend.