I suppose I am too much like him and not just in looks. I'm fiercely independent, stubborn to a fault, and if you tell me I can't do something, my go-to response is usually, "Sit back and watch." I'm not fond of conflict. I tend to retreat into my hidey-hole and when the fireworks are over, act like nothing was ever wrong. I'm more quiet than I used to be. I need my space and my alone time. But I'm also creative. I can envision what something needs to look like and I can figure out how to get there. I have an innate sense of direction. I love getting lost and figuring out how to get back to where I need to be. I love to explore, just for the sake of exploration, never taking the same road twice. All of these things, I got from him.
He is the youngest of three, the only boy, raised by his grandparents while his parents traveled around from job to job. His small town makes mine look like New York City. Once he finished high school, he rode his motorcycle to the Holy Land before it was officially Auburn University. A five hour trip today by car. Back then, there were no interstates, and turning highway 280 into a four-lane was someone's pipe dream. Worked in the lab that helped build the Saturn V. Raced stock cars on the side. Got married. He wanted to be an engineer. Probably would have made it, if there hadn't be this thing called a draft. Took a quarter off and Uncle Sam came calling. Trained at Ft. Benning. Being the only son and the fact that I was in the process of being born helped keep him from the war.
By that time the family had moved to Illinois. There, among other things, he worked at Sara Lee, and Ocean Spray. He helped build Comm Ed, the company responsible for lighting much of the eastern seaboard. He bought a garage and in his spare time, built a car and won racing's Rookie of the Year. He also had daughter number two.
Came home to Alabama to help his parents run a marina and campground they had purchased. Ended up buying it outright and for about ten years, worked sixteen and twenty hour days during the fishing season and just slightly less during the off months. Learned how to be an outboard motor mechanic in order to expand the business. Became a salesman when Evinrude was king and dragged the family to boat shows all over the Southeast. Called it our vacation. Started the county's tourism association. Fought against the pollution of the Coosa River. Became an EMT. Daughters number three and four showed up. The business got sold.
Worked in a couple of odd places, including TVA, helping build a nuclear power plant before settling into law enforcement. Became a "reev-a-noo-er" for the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. Busted up whiskey stills, carded underage drinkers, and became the bane of the students at that other university. Was an original member of the governor's Drug Task Force. Provided security for one governor's wife during their term. Grandchildren started to make appearances.
He finally retired after high blood pressure, heart problems and political backstabbing began to take its toll. Now he travels around seeing the states and comes home to putter in his garage. Builds whatever he wants, works on whatever car or boat happens to be handy, takes the only grandson (and the granddaughters) fishing. Still working on remodeling that monstrosity of a house. Still an engineer at heart.
Now that I think about it, I guess I'm a daddy's girl after all.
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