Father's Day Tribute

Sigmund Freud said that a man only becomes a man after his father dies.

He’s wrong.

I lost a teacher,
but retain the lessons he taught.

I lost a shoulder to lean on,
but retain the inner strength he gave me.

I lost someone to watch over me,
but retain the compassion I learned from him.

I lost his encouragement,
but retain the confidence he instilled.

I lost his advice,
but retain the ability to listen well.

I lost a great listener,
but retain the ability to express myself clearly.

I lost a sounding board,
but retained the ability to self critique he imparted.

I lost an accountant,
but retain the ability to do my own taxes as he instructed.

I lost an outdoor chef, 
but retain the bar-b-que tips he passed along.

I lost someone to tell me jokes,
but retain the sense of humor he tickled.

I lost someone to watch off beat movies with,
but retain the varied tastes we shared.

I lost someone to challenge me with puzzles,
but retain the problem solving skills they developed.

I lost someone to introduce me to new things,
but retain the sense of wonder he fostered.

I lost an enthusiastic fan,
but retain the creativity he encouraged.

I lost a man to aspire to,
but retain the aspirations.

I lost a guide,
but retain the path he showed me.

I lost the man who gave me every opportunity,
but learned to support others.

I lost a wonderful father,
but learned how to be one.

I did not become a man because my father died,
I became a man years ago, because of the way he lived.

Ten Random Bits of Dad Wisdom (minus his thoughts on environmentalism, as they are mostly unprintable):


On Dealing with Adversity:
"Aging sucks, but it beats the alternative.”

On Flood Plains:
"They should buy out all the home owners, make them move, and then build a reservior there."

On Comic Book Characters:
"You do know they're all fictional, right?"

On Practicality:
"The bigger they are, the harder they hit.”

On Parenting:
"No matter how much you learn or how strong you get, remember: I'll always be smarter than you, and I'll always be able to knock you on your ass." 

On Stress Management:
"You can only do what you can do. Then go home to what’s important.”

On Spousal Togetherness During Home Improvement Projects:
"If the police tell you I accidentally stabbed myself a hundred and thirty seven times with a wallpaper knife, shoot your mother."

On Limitations:
"There is no good way to pick up a toilet."

On Willpower:
"I knew I would have eaten ice cream every night I was here alone, which I shouldn't, so I ate the whole container the first day to keep it from tempting me."

On Decision Making:
"I never regretted anything I did; I only regretted the things I didn’t get to do."

Stan McGinley 11/17/1939-6/20/2008- Practicing one of his many arts.