Fathers

I was thinking the other day about my father, and about the legacy that he left behind. Legacies are rarely talked about when someone's alive, so I don't know how the mark that he left on this earth compares to what he wanted to leave. It struck me, however, as something that a son should know about his father, and possibly something that a son could help fashion about his dad.

Now I'm not saying that a son should become a PR specialist for his old man's reputation, but by doing a little reflection, he can come to grips with the qualities and truths that are representative of his father's essence, and he can embody them within in his own persona, adapting them to fit his mold, shaping them to reflect his ideals. Furthermore, he can teach that process to his own children, as part of the next generation's shaping and molding, so that he can be a step ahead in shaping and molding his own legacy. Because after all is said and done, the influence on the next generation is the true legacy that a man leaves behind.

Which brings me back to my dad. He was a man of few words, but he had deep passion for the things he believed, right or wrong. He'd deny it of course, play it off as something you were imagining, but I think he was secretly proud to have it known. I bet he never imagined the lesson he was teaching by doing that, but even if he had realized the impact, I believe that he would have played it off, true to form. That doesn't change the fact that an impression was made. So now I get to choose what to do with that, and my choice, in part, is this blog. Like my father, I am a man of few words, with deep passions for the things I believe, right or wrong. I don't want, however, to perpetuate in my children the pondering that occured in me after
my dad's passing. This blog is my attempt to confirm, rather than deny, and I hope you enjoy the ride.