He Don’t Need No Rockin’ Chair…

My Dad just celebrated his 85th Birthday in early March.  I can say with all honesty that he ain’t your average 85 year old!  He’s out there dancing in a leprechaun hat and beard with his great-grandkids.  He’s still going trekking through the woods hunting with his son-in-law and grandson.  He spends the day out on the lake fishing.

The first thing that people say to me when they meet my Dad is, “Wow!  Your Dad has really aged well!”  And it’s true – I don’t know if he’s been drinking from the Fountain of Youth or what – but he looks pretty darn good.  In fact, he looks very darn good.

Dad joined the Air Force when he was 18 years old and spent 3 years serving his Country.  He worked on the engines of the aircraft.  He married my Mom after he finished his training and together, they raised 3 kids.

We have a saying in our family if something needs fixed and we don’t know what to do, “Better call Pappy, he’ll know what to do.”  And he usually not only knows what to do, but he’ll drive down and fix it for us.

Dad worked 2, sometimes 3 jobs when I was growing up so my Mom could be a stay-at-home parent.  He’s a motorhead and can look at an antique car and tell you just about everything there is to know about it.  If you stop by our booths at Truck Shows, you will usually see him there passing out copies of Movin’ Out and shooting the breeze with people.  Dad loves to shoot the breeze. 

He started to build Muzzleloader rifles, a black powder gun,  back in 1974.  He takes a block of wood and hand carves into the gun.  He adds all of the parts.  There’s a bunch of technical terms and I don’t know them – so, I will just say that his guns are truly a work of art.  He spends hundreds of hours on each muzzleloader that he creates.  He just finished up three guns this past season, including one for his great-grandchildren.

My Dad has never been shy about saying what he thinks to whomever.  He’s passed this trait onto me, and I own it with pride.  He sticks up for the underdog.  He has always lent a helping hand to anyone in need and doesn’t expect anything in return. 

We had a family party for him with the theme of “Nacho Average Pappy” and that sentiment is certainly true.  My Dad is a remarkable man and I’m proud to be his daughter.  So, push that rockin’ chair back in the corner, Pappy’s too busy to sit and watch the world go by because he’s out there helping to keep it moving.