My father like most belonging to the "baby boomers generation" is resilient, honest, hardworking and the "jack of all trades" sort of individual. During weekends when he was younger, you see him attending to periodic repairs of the roof, or changing panels on the eaves, or replacing worn-out vinyl tiles on the dining area. He is also very handy with power tools, to the point that he would use a chain saw to prune a tree at the back and I even witness him trying his hand at a pneumatic jack hammer to level off a concrete wall to accommodate a new house extension.
I know that his passion lies in cars. Even if we are not that well off, he always manages to change cars once every two years and when we drive down the freeway in a new car you could sense his enthusiasm as he feels the power and the roar of the engine. He could have been a Formula I racing champion if opportunity warrants, but events overtook him and instead ended up in France as part of the Allied Forces.
In a very rare occasion my job brought me to Indianapolis during the "Indianapolis 500 racing month," and it gave me the chance to be part of the over quarter of a million enthusiasts that flock to the city annually. Out of the revelry I remembered my father, so I brought home all sorts of memorabilia -
flags,
pennants, banners, pins and even the bottled drinks sold at the bleachers.
True enough when my father recognized the things I brought, he engaged me in a bear hug a rare thing since he never let his emotion betray him. Maybe because the day I gave my present was on "Fathers Day 2008."
by:
The Flagman
