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diff --git a/md/06_Growing_Up_with_My_Dad_Ralph.md b/md/06_Growing_Up_with_My_Dad_Ralph.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..18c40ad --- /dev/null +++ b/md/06_Growing_Up_with_My_Dad_Ralph.md @@ -0,0 +1,47 @@ +--- +title: Growing Up with My Dad Ralph +--- + +Times were tough when I was a little boy, but I never had a single clue +to trouble my naive little noggin. Our humble circumstances were all I +had ever known, and our family was full of adventure and love. If +someone had told me we were poor and destitute, I would have told them +they must be crazy. My life was just fine, and we were a happy little +family. + +I never was aware of any hint about how much stress my father endured to +carry the load of providing for our little tribe. Dad never showed any +signs of worry or wear. To me he was just a fairly sober-minded dad who +usually faced life's challenges with a subtle hint of mischief. He was +not the type to laugh out loud and make outrageous jokes, but he enjoyed +a little humor whenever he could. I'll give you a few examples that +will illustrate what I mean. + +Whenever one of us children broke the rules and was worthy of some form +of punishment, dad always said, "OK, Knucklehead. Grab your ankles!" +The idea was that the offender would prepare to receive a swift kick to +the posterior by bending over and taking hold of their ankles while +still standing up. The kick from my dad was more of a gentle tap or a +shove that sent the guilty party to the ground in a heap of giggles and +laughter. The message was clear that dad never intended to enforce the +rules with pain or anger. We felt duly punished for our miss-deeds, but +always knew dad loved us. + +Dad usually had goofy nicknames for each of the children and they seemed +to change occasionally. Carol was "Kedzle" and Leslie was "Saskie". +Tom and I must have had a few nicknames too, but they escape me at the +moment. I'll have to ask Tom if he remembers them. + +Another one of dad's subtle quirks involved his love for "road kill +humor." He had a drawer full of oddities such as "The Original Road +Kill Cookbook" and Boxes of Betty Trucker Roadkill Helper. Fortunately, +this odd little twinkle in his eye developed after I was gone from the +nest. See the pictures below. + +{width=49%} +{width=49%} + +The message is that dad always took life's little bumps and bruises +with a little bit of a chuckle. Even when things looked a little bit +dreary, he was willing to look at the eternal picture and count his +blessings. |