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April 02, 2008
Anyhoo
I was telling a coworker tonight about helping my dad make an attendance sheet for his welding class, laughing about how a man so intelligent could have so much trouble with Excel, the same way my dad would laugh about how his college-educated daughter can't figure out how to turn her parking lights off, and I think the sudden invasion of thoughts of something so warm, so familiar into a job I'm still getting used to and thus is so NOT warm and familiar, just completely threw me, and I've been thinking about my Dad a lot this evening.
My dad is incredibly supportive. He indulges my hypochondria, he listens to my troubles as best he can, and as a man of few but choice words, he has a number of old standards, phrases that he always comes back to that really convey who he is and what his values are, and that I really should take under further advisement:
"I Am What I Am"
My father loves to quote Popeye and/or God.
If you comment on his person in any way, positive, negative, just observational nonsense, this is his response, and I really think this is just what he believes. That he is. What he is. And he is fine that way.
HOW AWESOME WOULD IT BE TO FEEL THAT WAY? What if I was? What I am? And I was fine with that?
"Well, it keeps me off the streets and out of the bars"
This is Dad's standard tag-on to when he describes what he's been up to lately. As a retired dude, he keeps surprisingly busy, teaching welding, yard work, welding the neighbors a new fence or his old partner a frou-frou chimney topper. And whenever he concludes an account of a new endeavor, he reminds me, "well, it keeps me off the streets and out of the bars."
And while I don't think Dad has ever hit either the streets or the bars, I know what he means.
It keeps his mind and body occupied, keeps him interested in the world, doing for others, eliminates the need for meaningless distractions.
That is something I need to do more of.
"Yes, Dear"
I don't know what advice my father gave my brother when he got married, but I assume it was similar to the advice he gave Allan back in the day we were poor candidates for marital bliss, which consisted mainly of advocating the use of the phrase, "yes, dear."
And while my dad enjoys playing the long-suffering husband, considering his garage is 3/4 of the size of the house, I know he's really talking about just giving as much as you can, when you can.
Something I need to do. Or rather, something I need to learn to do without begrudging the result.
"Anyhoo"
This is one of my favorite Southern-isms, the "anyhoo." (Number one favorite? "Quit your caterwauling.") While it might seem like a placeholder, an "anyway" a "so," a "well," really, it's really a gentlemanly way to say: "I talked too long about myself, what would you like to say?"
Anyway, so, well, anyhoo, I talked too long about myself, what would you like to say?
Posted by jen at April 2, 2008 09:20 PM
Comments
my favorite saying of dad's "god damn cats!"
my favorite southern saying "for cryin' in a bucket!"
Posted by: Penny at April 2, 2008 11:32 PM
Jen ~ been lurking on your blog for a while ~ glad you are writing again! I think I must be related to your dad cause I think I say all of those things. Maybe it's just the generation! I look forward to your new adventures.
Posted by: Barb at April 3, 2008 12:07 AM
Oh, I say "anywhoo" all the time and then I get annoyed with myself because I sound like my grandmother.
Your dad sounds very nice, even if he is Excel-challenged. I think you wrote a very sweet tribute to him--I hope he reads it.
Posted by: SusannahS at April 3, 2008 06:56 AM
Jen. What a neat post about your dad. I love my dad and your post has inspired me to pretty much cut and paste some of your reflections on values and appreciation into a father's day card for the ole guy. Eliminating the need for meaningless distractions...wow. THanks for sharing.
Posted by: julie at April 3, 2008 04:24 PM
Oh, my Dad sounds like your Dad but coarser. His favorites (besides "I am what I am") are "Any day you're looking at the green side of the grass is a good day" and "You can't polish a turd." Truer words were never spoken...
(Oh, and the less politically correct "Anyone who hates kids and dogs can't be all bad.")
Posted by: Anne at April 3, 2008 08:35 PM
Your dad sounds awesome. Yay for awesome dads!
Posted by: Librarian Girl at April 8, 2008 04:07 PM
Oh the words of our Fathers. They stay with us a lifetime, even after they are gone their sayings still keep them alive. I think of my Dad every day,and still laugh at all of the quirky things he said....Anywhooo.....
Posted by: Linda W at April 10, 2008 06:13 PM