All dads are quirky and cool, but mine could win awards!
My dad is the OF (Original Freegan). His superpower is finding the treasure in other people’s trash. Retired a decade ago, he dedicates his time to collecting and repurposing oddball things he keeps around the house.
A broken garden statue of two children today becomes the walking cane of horror tomorrow.
An old coffee pot (of which he has five) makes a pretty good fish tank.
That free bucket from the hardware store could work as a kids swing.
And this out-of-the-box thinking goes way back.
When I was a kid, Dad would light a cigar and start gathering supplies for the next playground, the one that would finally be ‘Mom Approved’. Following him around like a puppy ensured that I could have a voice in the design. But as it always went, someone would get hurt and Mom would be in the yard, hands on hips, declaring our new fun land condemned! Secretly, my dad loved this moment when the shards of his failed project became the fresh supplies he needed for the next death-defying playground.
Raised by generations of hardworking men, Dad didn’t hug or cuddle me, but found his own way to show he cared. Texas summers in his motor oil scented garage taught me how to straighten crooked nails, to use a hammer, keep pests off peach trees, and how to organize and re-organize your stuff ad nauseam.
Today, I raise a glass of iced tea to all the dads.
Keep rocking those Socks and Crocs! Let the Dad Jokes roll!
Most dads understand that character trumps trends, and a life lived authentically makes a happy home. Model these lessons, the kiddos are watching.