Fathers Day
- Thread starter jf1962
- Start date
- Location
- Lansing, NY
have a great fathers day too jf1962 and to all buzz
- Location
- Retired in Minneapolis
Re: Fathers Day-does this remind you of your Dad?
> Matt Keenan COMMENTARY
>
> Remembering old-school fathers
>
> By MATTHEW D. KEENAN
>
> Guest columnist
>
> Tim Russert’s book Wisdom of our Fathers is climbing the best-seller
> charts. It’s a compilation of letters he received in response to his
> last book, Big Russ and Me.
>
> I recommend both to anyone who had the privilege of being raised by a
> father in the 1950’s and 1960’s. While reading Wisdom, I realized most
> of the stories involved anecdotes of fathers now deceased. It reminded
> me once again how fortunate I am that my dad, unlike so many of those
> described in the book, is alive and well at the youthful age of 76.
>
> All this inspired me to dedicate this column to the old-school dads.
> Those dads who worked dust to dawn. Those who were drafted and served
> time in the military. My dad, maybe like yours, was part of the
> “greatest generation.” No one knew it back then, of course.
>
> One characteristic of those dads was huge separation between fathers
> and their children and with that divide came great respect. Fathers
> drew boundaries and if we crossed them there were consequences. Back
> then everyone spanked.
>
> My dad became adept at corporal punishment, which he refined on my
> older sister. She had lots of boyfriends and none were Eagle Scouts,
> if you know what I mean. Dad eventually tossed the paddle and started
> imposing a far more serious punishment: grounding.
>
> Dad had a few vices, as most did. Every night he enjoyed a scotch and
> water before dinner. In the early 60’s he smoked cigarettes, then a
> pipe but eventually gave up both. Friends would stop by the house at
> all hours. All visitors enjoyed the privilege of having dad “fix them
> a drink.” For some of my formative years he was the County Attorney in
> Barton County. It was the stuff of Perry Mason and Atticus Finch. Dad
> carried a gun and a badge and the police chief would come by the house
> if there was trouble in River City.
>
> All of this was top secret, of course. My two brothers and I
> fantasized over the various developments — Russian spies and triple
> ax-murderers. None of which ever made the Great Bend Tribune, of
> course. It was far too confidential.
>
> My dad was defined largely by his wife of 49 years, Ramona. Mom and
> dad were crazy about each other but they never showed emotion. Ever.
> In all their years of marriage mom said they had sex five times. Five
> children.
>
> Russert’s book dedicates a chapter to fathers and their penchant for
> reserving communications to special, important occasions. And that was
> true of my dad. One time that came to mind was 1977.I was a freshman
> at KU. It was the first month of school and I was miserable. I had no
> car and fewer friends. I was more than just homesick. I was city sick.
> My kid brother and kid sister were back home getting smothered with
> TLC by Mona. My older brother and sister were enrolled at another
> college, Fort Hays, which had a ton of my high school classmates.
>
> And then there was me. Over Labor Day I had caught a ride home. One
> reason I was returning was to pick up an IMB Selectric typewriter. It
> was a hand-me-down from my dad’s law firm. A couple days after
> returning to KU I needed to type an assignment and opened the
> typewriter case.
>
> There on the face of the typewriter was a 4-by-6 note card with a
> typed message. And the second I saw it tears welled up in my eyes.
>
> This is what it said: “Matthew - be yourself. Don’t follow the crowd.
> Trust your conscious. Your mother and I raised you well. We are proud
> of you. Love you. Dad.”
>
> Larry Edwin Keenan. My father.
>>
> Matt Keenan COMMENTARY
>
> Remembering old-school fathers
>
> By MATTHEW D. KEENAN
>
> Guest columnist
>
> Tim Russert’s book Wisdom of our Fathers is climbing the best-seller
> charts. It’s a compilation of letters he received in response to his
> last book, Big Russ and Me.
>
> I recommend both to anyone who had the privilege of being raised by a
> father in the 1950’s and 1960’s. While reading Wisdom, I realized most
> of the stories involved anecdotes of fathers now deceased. It reminded
> me once again how fortunate I am that my dad, unlike so many of those
> described in the book, is alive and well at the youthful age of 76.
>
> All this inspired me to dedicate this column to the old-school dads.
> Those dads who worked dust to dawn. Those who were drafted and served
> time in the military. My dad, maybe like yours, was part of the
> “greatest generation.” No one knew it back then, of course.
>
> One characteristic of those dads was huge separation between fathers
> and their children and with that divide came great respect. Fathers
> drew boundaries and if we crossed them there were consequences. Back
> then everyone spanked.
>
> My dad became adept at corporal punishment, which he refined on my
> older sister. She had lots of boyfriends and none were Eagle Scouts,
> if you know what I mean. Dad eventually tossed the paddle and started
> imposing a far more serious punishment: grounding.
>
> Dad had a few vices, as most did. Every night he enjoyed a scotch and
> water before dinner. In the early 60’s he smoked cigarettes, then a
> pipe but eventually gave up both. Friends would stop by the house at
> all hours. All visitors enjoyed the privilege of having dad “fix them
> a drink.” For some of my formative years he was the County Attorney in
> Barton County. It was the stuff of Perry Mason and Atticus Finch. Dad
> carried a gun and a badge and the police chief would come by the house
> if there was trouble in River City.
>
> All of this was top secret, of course. My two brothers and I
> fantasized over the various developments — Russian spies and triple
> ax-murderers. None of which ever made the Great Bend Tribune, of
> course. It was far too confidential.
>
> My dad was defined largely by his wife of 49 years, Ramona. Mom and
> dad were crazy about each other but they never showed emotion. Ever.
> In all their years of marriage mom said they had sex five times. Five
> children.
>
> Russert’s book dedicates a chapter to fathers and their penchant for
> reserving communications to special, important occasions. And that was
> true of my dad. One time that came to mind was 1977.I was a freshman
> at KU. It was the first month of school and I was miserable. I had no
> car and fewer friends. I was more than just homesick. I was city sick.
> My kid brother and kid sister were back home getting smothered with
> TLC by Mona. My older brother and sister were enrolled at another
> college, Fort Hays, which had a ton of my high school classmates.
>
> And then there was me. Over Labor Day I had caught a ride home. One
> reason I was returning was to pick up an IMB Selectric typewriter. It
> was a hand-me-down from my dad’s law firm. A couple days after
> returning to KU I needed to type an assignment and opened the
> typewriter case.
>
> There on the face of the typewriter was a 4-by-6 note card with a
> typed message. And the second I saw it tears welled up in my eyes.
>
> This is what it said: “Matthew - be yourself. Don’t follow the crowd.
> Trust your conscious. Your mother and I raised you well. We are proud
> of you. Love you. Dad.”
>
> Larry Edwin Keenan. My father.
>>
Re: Fathers Day-does this remind you of your Dad?
Sounds very cool tom, happy fathers day to you javier and all the other dads a buzzin on the buzz, i had a great one, after being gone for three weeks i made a round of breakfast went to my sons b day party and a baby shower for my wife and i's fith child due in august.i am glad to be home,give me a couple weeks and ill be ready for 12 hour days again.
Sounds very cool tom, happy fathers day to you javier and all the other dads a buzzin on the buzz, i had a great one, after being gone for three weeks i made a round of breakfast went to my sons b day party and a baby shower for my wife and i's fith child due in august.i am glad to be home,give me a couple weeks and ill be ready for 12 hour days again.
