MY DAD TAUGHT ME...TO
CALL THE PLUMBER!
My grandpa was one of the greatest handymen in all the
Great Lakes region.
He built most of his own house and probably never paid a
cent to a repair man, electrician or plumber -- because he could fix anything
with his hands, no instruction booklet required.
Dad, well, did NOT
genetically inherit those skills.
After a few broken faucets, fried electrical
outlets and hammer smashed thumbs (with requisite high volume, multi-syllable
cursewords that I'm pretty sure we were not allowed to repeat) -- dad proved
the point that sometimes it’s best to dial the experts before even trying. Dad
learned to dial the experts.
I learned my lesson and never tried to grow
up to be Mr. FixIt.
I simply figured a way of selling enough prose and
poetry to pay for the plumber.
This is a 12-day tribute to my dad, who died a few days before Thanksgiving this year, from his first-born son.
MY DAD TAUGHT ME...TO NOT GET OBSESSED WITH SPORTS
Though I would have swapped my soul to become
the starting 3rd baseman for the Cleveland Indians, anybody saw me on the
little league diamond knew I'm I was going to make it to the locker room, it
would be as a sportswriter, not as an athlete.
Learning how do adapt from jock
wannabe to journalist allowed me to cover pro sports. Eventually, as policy
advisor to the Chairman of the Miami City Commission, I helped negotiate a
stadium deal with Major League Baseball to keep the Marlins in Miami.
(my
clause in the contact, requiring that the Florida club renounce its 97 World
Series title to the rightful champion Tribe was deleted by the baseball
commissioner!).
MY DAD TAUGHT ME...TO
BE HUMBLE
Having been a Pulitzer-nominated reporter, political advisor to marketing
consultant global design firms, I have met enough egotistical, arrogant and
downright narcissistic people to fill a pro sports arena.
Being rooted in
humility because of dad’s teachings, I have been able to suffer these fools'
grandiosity without ever compromising my principals (or bloodying a dang
bully's nose for that matter.)
MY DAD TAUGHT ME...
TO
TAKE CARE OF FAMILY AND CHERISH THE GOOD TIMES
As a result of a nightmarish
childhood, my mom fought with 100 lifetimes worth of demons during my formative
years.
Dad helped me see mom's gift for overcoming against all odds.
It's
probably no coincidence that my companion of three decades was already using a
wheelchair when I met her at age 20 in college. I saw the ability, not the
disability in Heidi.
Heidi has been the best bride a person could ask for.
This is a 12-day tribute to my dad, who died a few days before Thanksgiving this year, from his first-born son.
