John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #116: Things We Share With Dad

""Old as she was, she still missed her daddy sometimes."

Weekend Assignment #116: Tell about some personality trait or quirk you got from your father...or, if you're a father, some personality trait or quirk of yours you see in your kinds.

Extra Credit: Did you ever get dad a tie for Father's Day?

-John Scalzi

Well, where to begin. For most of my life, my relationship with my father was really strained. Dad had a lot of sadness, mostly about things that happened long before I was born, so he had a lot of demons to fight. He did that in his own way, and in fact, usually refused all help, but before he passed away in 1995, he and I made our peace...and it was complete. He and I had long talks about how much of our personality he and I shared. It was comforting to know that he and I could bring out the best in each other. Here is a list of what we shared...

1. Politics. He was a staunch democrat and a liberal, and he taught me about what that meant. The night Bobby Kennedy was killed, dad came home from work so sad, I was only a little one, but he and I talked about why he was so sad, and he explained it so a I could understand...and then we both felt better.

2. We both have a wicked sense of humor. He and I could speak in whole conversations with just a grin. We always knew what to say or do to make the other one laugh, and as sad and confused as dad would get...he never really lost his sense of humor. He knew the importance of a good, solid laugh.

3. Sugar. LOL. Dad had a sweet tooth that went straight to his soul...and so do I. :)

4. The arts. Dad and I both enjoyed museums, the ballet, and music of all kinds. He and I would often talk about art and the lives of artists. He was an avid reader and he shared his library with me as a child. It opened a lot of doors for me.

5. He encouraged me in photography. When I became clinically depressed back in the mid-eighties...he put a camera in my hand and told me to snap away. He knew it would help me come out of myself. He had a camera, and he loved going up to wine country and photographing the vineyards.

6. San Francisco. We both love that city...but I bet you already knew that.

I could go on, but you get the picture. I guess what he and I shared the most was political ideals, our sense of humor, and our love of all thing beautiful, from the arts to the city of San Francisco. :)

Extra Credit: I gave my dad a tie, the first Father's Day after I got married. It was the one he wore on my wedding day. He loved the tie, so I bought it as a surprise. After he died I put it in my cedar chest...where it still is today. :)

-OndineMonet
"From The Bay Bridge"
San Francisco, California
June 15, 2006
Mid-Morning