Thanks for the Memories (Father’s Day)

Thanks for the Memories (Father’s Day)

 

I was driving home on what used to be 60, now 376…actually 376 business extension, near where the airport used to be. Yes, I’m old enough to remember the airport that was here before the airport. Yes, there were jets…yes, we sat inside the plane… No they didn’t have to crank them…Shut Up!

Anyway, I was passing a slow moving vehicle that was in the right lane…That’s where you’re supposed to be if you’re not doing the speed limit by the way. I know that doesn’t apply to those of you from Ohio, but that’s the way we do it here.

As I look in my rear view mirror I see a car speeding up behind me. After I pass the car on my right, I pull into the right lane and let them fly by. They pass me and move over into my lane, there’s a red light ahead. They stop and I stop behind them.

It’s a Porsche SUV…yeah, I don’t know why either. It’s like getting a Harley scooter. The light turns green and they speed ahead…I don’t know, maybe the kids are waiting to get picked up from Soccer practice…Is there Soccer practice now? Can you socially distance playing soccer?

I’m going slowly at this point because I can see ahead…another red light. I pull up and am stopped right behind the Porsche. I wouldn’t have even know what kind of car it is if the word PORSCHE wasn’t so pronounced on the tailgate. I guess they want you to know you’re not behind a Honda or Toyota Rave.

This is when a memory came back into my mind. I was driving on this same road, in the other direction with my dad in the car. I was young and drove like the asshole in the SUV. I gunned my engine and blew by a car on the right.

As I was stopped at the light, the car I passed pulled up next to me. My father looked over and said,

“Remember the car you were in a big hurry to pass? That’s him right next to you.”

I tried to ignore him. When the light turned green I gunned it…the light ten yards ahead turned red. I stopped. The other car pulled up next to me. This time my father just looked at the car and then toward me,

“Yeah, I know!”

That was just one of many lessons he taught me along the way. This will be the fifteenth Father’s Day since he’s been gone and I still miss him every day. I think the best thing he ever told me was,

“Be your own man. Never be a follower.”

I’ve tried my best to do that. Thanks Dad, Happy Father’s Day. See you on the other side.

He’s the good looking guy in the white shirt looking at the camera.