My dad is a wonderful man; a bit prone to lectures, a great whistler, can fix anything, builds cool stuff, sometimes cranky (maybe 5 daughters has something to do with that?), but all in all a good man. I've got some words of wisdom that I learned from him that I'd like to pass along to you:
1. Don't send a kid to do a man's job because you'll end up with a kid's job. (he used to say that when we screwed something up.)
2. Ochter Leiber Eiber Stein! This is the perfect word to show surprise, amazement and in place of where many other people might use a curse word. Hit your thumb with the hammer? Ochter Leiber Eiber Stein!
3. Make sure you get paid well if you hate your job. It doesn't matter so much if you love your job, but if you hate it, good money helps to make it better.
4. If you want to do something, go do it. Quit sitting around dreaming about it, thinking about it, planning for it. Just do it.
5. You're in luck when you got a McCullock...Chain Saw. (he's always singing old commercials or songs like Ain't I always nice to your kid sister? Don't I take her driving every night? So put another log on the fire, babe, and come and tell me why you're leaving me.)
6. If he calls you "toots" that means you're in trouble.
Here's the captain (my dad) planning out the work to be done by some kids (me and my sisters) and probably getting ready to call someone "toots" real soon. The part about making good money if you hate your job doesn't apply to kids who are required to scrape the hull of a sailboat to remove the barnacles.
3 comments:
Or sand! God forbid that you said you had nothing too do on the boat.
Dad would hand you a sanding block. It's hard to hide on a 40ft boat!
I was able to meet your dad (and mom) this past fall.It's still hard for me to imagine you all lived a a 40 ft boat and sailed around for 3 years. Your dad reminded me of a Ex-Marine....just like my husband!
About your #4 point...isn't that what Aunt Krissy did?
I always think it seems weird to have your parents mantras become yours. My Dad always used to say, "Do it right the first time and you won't have to do it again." I find myself repeatig that to my kids over and over. Maybe they'll say it to their kids someday.
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