Yep...Father, Time Waits For No-one

This is a picture of my Dad (scroll down...dang computer again). I'm not sure how old he was when it was taken. He was 'old' when I was born; 45. There were a whole lot of reasons why I wasn't too close to him later on, before he passed in 1987. When Cappy and I visited the house in the picture last Fall, it was a kind of catharsis for me. This is the first house my Dad bought for his little family, my Mom, myself and my 'baby' bruvver. It's where we lived when I was burned at my grandparents' house in Port Allegany, PA. (I had been visiting my grandparents when I was 4 years old,where they had one of these little black water heaters with a door which swung open,exposing flames, whereby my dress caught fire. I was burned 45% of my body with 3rd and 4th degree burns.) After only 5 months, I had recovered enough to be released from the hospital. I remember my Dad having to take me everyday to the hospital to be debreded. We would sit in the waiting room, knowing that at any minute they would call our name and we'd be taken down to the basement; the farthest away from anyone's earshot, to tear the bandages off my stomach. Just thinking about it now gets my heart racing. To help us both try to keep calm in the waiting room, my Dad would read to me, mostly from current event magazines, like Time, Saturday Evening Post or a publication called LOOK. It was during those times that I felt most close to my father. It was then that I began to learn how to read, take an interest in politics, current events, science, and a curiousity about the world in general.
I remember him showing me pictures of Mt. Rushmore and explaining details about each president represented. While perusing one of the magazines we came across and article about a Crazy Horse Memorial they had started sculpting in 1948. Over the years, he and I kept up on the progress of this memorial. I just read where only a couple of years ago, they had a special ceremony, because after all these years; well over 50, only the face has been completed. It's supposed to be the Native American warrior chief sitting atop his stallion when it's finished.(easily 'googled')

Going back to visit our old home was a good thing. The owners, took Cappy and I for a tour inside. Very nice of them to do that. They are the Carr Family. As you can see, even the house is 'taking new steps' to improve itself. Inside the living room I told Mrs. Carr's mother, how I used to stand behind my Dad while he was watching television, and play with his hair. He was so engrossed in political talk shows that he was hardly aware of what I was doing. I used to make tiny braids all over his head. All that ended the night he quickly got up and answered the front door to find our insurance agent, who had come to pay a visit. I remember Dad saying, "Huh? Oh migosh!" grabbing his head, and saying, "Oh...Peggy was messing around with my hair while I was watching tv; she does that." She didn't anymore after that. I don't know who was more embarrassed; my Dad or me.

Now that I'm older I really miss him. He had a cornball 'punny' sense of humor that I didn't appreciate til now. He also had a saying which he liked to say with a pretend German accent, "Too soon vee grow oldt; too late Vee grow shmart".