A Big Burly Ball of Love

You may not know this but I have a pretty kick ass dad...he looks all big and burly and tough...but I have a secret...He isn't...

He is a big burly ball of love.

He is the dad that still hooks his arm around my neck and pulls me in for a kiss on the forehead and gives me 'love swats' on the butt. He is the guy with the big ol' bald head that I still love to rub and kiss.

As a kid he was never the disciplinarian.  I don't think he even knew what discipline was and if it weren't for my mom I'm pretty sure me and my sister would both be spending time in the state pen...he was often a good example of what not to do...but no need to go into that...*smirk*

He was and is still the dad/grandpa that puts on HUGE Easter Egg Hunts for every kid he knows....so that he is sure that every kid get lots of candy.  He always goes through to make sure everyone has a bucket full and has the same shit eatin grin on his face and happy laugh that he had when I was a kid after he was sure everyone had made out like bandits.

He is the dad that forbid me to join the military when I got out of high school but still showed up at the airport to say his goodbyes and be supportive even though I went against his wishes.... with sunglasses hiding his tears as I boarded the plane.

He is the dad that took us kids to every carnival in the region when we were old enough to walk and had us on roller coasters by the time we were 5 years old...he also made sure he took our friends.  He loved to ride the rides with us and mostly loved to feed us full of cotton candy and junk food.  He made us believe that carnivals where one one the best things in life and for a few years of my life...me and my friend Brandi knew for sure that we wanted a career in carnival...yes we wanted to be carnies....see this is the type of behavior my dad promoted.  I believe I remember him even laughing and telling that was a great idea.

My dad taught me how to drive.  I believe that alone deserves a Noble Peace Prize....mostly because this man can not drive...it's scary people...really really scary.  Don't get in a vehicle with this man...consider this a warning. 

He taught me and my sister how to work hard.  My dad has always been a hard worker and worked to make sure my mom could stay home and raise us girls and take care of the home...he was old school like that.  In fact I don't even know that he knows what else to do other than work.  He doesn't have hobbies.  In his mind his purpose on this earth is to provide for his family and love them.  That is what he does.  He also expect us kids to work hard and take pride in our efforts.  We were expected to have jobs as teenagers and learn how to earn a dollar..but also spoiled us at the same time...but not in a way that we had as sense of entitlement.

He treats women with respect and showed us girls and still shows us today...how a man remains faithful to the woman he loves.

My dad has a stutter.  I don't really notice it but other people do.  It's interesting how a disability makes other people uncomfortable and sometimes they say things that aren't nice.  It is hard for me not to throttle their asses and get very defensive even though I know its their own ignorance.  I know that he has been bullied and teased due to his stutter and that really upsets me... beyond any words that I could possibly write down...mostly because he is incredibly smart and sometimes doesn't have the ability to get out what he needs to say.  He has shown me how to accept myself for who I am and not worry so much about what others think or say about me...just to be me...

He is a man that spent two tours in Vietnam to fight for our freedom and earned a purple heart.  He saw things that no man should ever have to see.  Vietnam I believed changed him forever like it did many men that fought there.  For that sacrifice I will forever be grateful and will always respect him.

My dad won't see this.  He is still struggling to figure out the cell phone..my friend Kristal asked me the other day if he texted because she couldn't get him on the phone and I almost and I choked and spit on myself in a fit of laughter.... and I have lost all hope that he will ever even try to use a computer...I tried once to teach him how to use a mouse...yeah...not gonna happen.  But I thought you should know...I like him...just a little...*smiling*