There is a scene in the 1962 classic movie To Kill A Mockingbird when Reverend Sykes says to Scout: Miss Jean Louise, Stand up. Your father is passing. The spectators in the courtroom balcony had great respect for Atticus. His unbiased and diligent pursuit of the truth and enthusiastic defense of Tom had earned their deepest respect. Atticus was a man to be respected and Reverend Sykes instructed Scout to convey that well-deserved respect to her father. It is a powerful cinematic moment.
I think of that scene often and when I do, I think of both Gregory Peck ( the actor who portrayed Atticus) and of my father. My dad was a man to be respected. He was a man of character. He stood up for what was good and right and true. He was intelligent and hard-working. He had a strong work ethic and a resolute set of morals and principles. He, like Atticus, went about his business in a quiet dignified manner. He was also a good listener. Patient and good-humored, you would hear him whistling as he exited his car and walked up the sidewalk after work.
He was a man who smiled alot. He laughed. He played table tennis with the zeal of a child. The same with tennis. He loved to fish. He loved his wife. He had a happy joyous marriage filled with love and laughter. He loved his three daughters. He loved his grandchildren. He never raised his voice. That is not true. He raised his voice loudly at least once a week during football season when the University of Alabama was playing. But much like Atticus, he rarely raised his voice. He helped us with homework and pushed us on swings and saved us from ocean waves and imaginary monsters in the closet. He slaughtered incredibly large spiders. He grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for us. He painstakingly removed bones from the fish on our plate for us. He played board games and ball games with us. He was always waiting at the bottom of the big slide. He took us on family vacations to the Smoky Mountains and Disney World and Washington and Daytona Beach and Cypress Gardens. He would take us to Davis Brothers' Cafeteria after church and we could select what we wanted including the chocolate pudding with the whipped cream. He caught us whenever he possibly could but if we fell, he was always there to pick us up. He taught us to play card games and ride bicycles. The summer heat never prevented him from mowing the lawn or manning the ice cream churn. He was and remains our hero. He carried us on his shoulders both figuratively and literally. He taught us so much by his example. He treated people fairly. He did not discriminate or tolerate injustice. He was a gentleman through and through. He was generous and loving. He was compassionate. He was friendly. He was always there. His love was unconditional and constant. He was strong and he was gentle. I recently wrote about men who reflected class. My father defined the word. Men of his caliber are a rare breed. My dad was from the "greatest generation. He served in the Army Air Corps and was stationed in India in WWII. He was an engineer with J.I.Case and Lilliston Implement Company and Lilliston Corporation where he served as plant manager. I worked two summers at Lilliston Corporation and I saw the respect everyone had for my dad. (I can also now discuss peanut combines and cultivators with the best of them.) He was a selfless well-mannered man who was a member of Civitan ( a community service club) and thus worked at the concession booth at the annual fair. He also worked at telethons at the local television station and met celebrities including actors from The Virginian. These two things alone cemented his cool status. You have probably already processed what I didn't know until later. It wasn't until recently that I realized I had grown up in a Disney-like home. As parents go, I hit the jackpot. My father was simply the absolute best. He excelled as Daddy, Grandaddy and Uncle Bill. I am posting this recognition of my father in advance of father's day. On that day I will miss him and remember him. And if he were here and walked past me,you better believe I would be standing. |
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