My Dad --- my first fan

As this is the week of Father's Day, I have decided to post about my dad. I have been missing him, so this stuff comes easy.

I guess the facts are in order. My mom and dad were high school sweethearts. Dad was the youngest of six children, raised primarily by my single grandmother. They lived in the projects. Dad was charismatic, popular, a bit of a ham, and not the biggest guy. I think he's about 5'8", and probably weighed 160. Mom was total 70s prom queen type. Blonde hair to her bum, bell-bottoms. Cheerleader. So, I was an unplanned pregnancy.

Dad was 19 when I was born, and mom was 18. Neither graduated due to the circumstances, and my dad decided the only way to raise this family was to join the military. He did. But the young couple was not able to maintain a marriage. By the time I was 8, they were seperated. Dad has never remarried.

I was the apple of my dad's eye from the moment I came home. He was enamoured with me from the start. I slept on his chest, and I loved to be with him. As I grew, I became his partner in crime, and was with him all the time. He never worked a 9-to-5 job, so I was always running around with him.

By the time of the divorce, he took me to nice restuarants, on trips, to museums, just about anywhere. He was always teaching me things. Always. He called me "Hooks". Pronounces "hewks". We always had fun. He was strict, but I was behaved. No other kids were ever born, and it was generally me and dad. For ever.

Even when I was all grown up and decided to move to Arizona at 24, there was no doubt he was coming. In my mind anyway! He packed up and came with. Life was all about me and making it what I needed to go to law school. Every bit of his adult life has always for me.

In high school, Dad started leaving me post-it notes telling me to do chores or whatever, and he always signed off with a smiley face and "Dad". Or if he was being stern, a frowning face and "Dad". He still signs all my cards and stuff like that. I can't see a smiley face and not think of my dad.

I am not one of those kids that some parents would say "Can do no wrong". He'll tell it to me straight. Any day of the week. But he was my first fan, is still my biggest fan, and also my reality check.