Sunday, September 28, 2008

Friday's Fond Memory
My Dad Rocks

That handsome guy, the one in the back row - the one with the emo glasses (so ahead of his time), is my dad. And before I go on, can I just say that my Grandma's hair was fantastic and I would love to see how she kept it like that because WOW I can't even maintain a bob - let alone a beehive. But, for the moment my attention is on my dad. A born engineer, my dad is a genius, or at least that's what my siblings and I have always, and continue to believe. No math problem could stump him, no physics riddle too tricky. My mom says that he made flash-cards for me as a baby in an attempt to encourage my own smarts - smarts that never reached the calibur of his own, but such a lofty goal to at least encourage a good effort. Sometimes it seems odd to call myself an engineer, in comparison with this engineering protype that is my dad. When I walk into his office on campus and his chalk-board is covered in Greek symbols and bizarre diagrams I can't help but feel like an imposter. He was born to think these incredible, complex thoughts - and frequently my mind is wandering off to pear-cafe curtains and bird necklaces. Even as a kid I wanted so badly to find pure fascination in all that he found interesting, Air shows and Army Surplus Stores, and science museums...but too often I was distracted by the gift shop or snack vendors. Yet, there is enough of a hint of wonderment, enough to justify a career I suppose, as I catch myself saying "oh, that's awesome" at the TV commentator explaining the construction of the World's Greatest This-or-That. All of his hard work and hours at the kitchen table doing logic puzzles must have rubbed-off a little I suppose. Like I said, My Dad Rocks.

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