My Father The Hero

If you've met my dad or heard stories, you know he's a mythological figure. You also know he's very handsome.

Anyway, in honor of Father's Day, I'd like to share a little of why I've turned out so freakin' awesome.

My dad was always around and involved. He coached my little league softball and basketball, helped with my homework, taught my life lessons I still adhere to today, like the importance of living within your means (e.g. why The BFF and I live in the Dollar Store District).

Thanks to him, I also have the genetic ability to consume disgusting amounts of food, am stubborn, think I'm inherently right, and take pride in being self-sufficient.

There are a million (hilarious) family stories that I could share to help depict the kind of man he is, but I'll just stick to one of the classics that helped me get into college (for the prompt 'what was one of the hardest things you've dealt with and what did you learn from it'):

The summer before my eighth grade year, my five person family packed into our Suburban and headed up the Eastern seaboard for my first taste of the north. Making approximately one million stops along the way, including my first trip to New York, we reached as far as Niagara Falls, Canada before heading back to Texas.

After almost three weeks of traveling together, clearly we were ready to be home (there is such a thing as too much togetherness). My parents got us as far as Missouri when early one morning my dad pulled into a gas station and realized there was a problem with the car.

While the rest of us were groggy and half-asleep, my dad located the nearest mechanic hoping we'd be on our way soon.

Wrong.

Not only was it fairly problematic damage to the car's axle, but the local car guy was busy for the day.

Nooooooooooooo.

Now, my father is an engineer. He can do anything whether it be fix cars, build houses, or create awesome playhouses in our backyard. He knew he could do the work himself and convinced the guy to let him borrow the shop's tools.

While he was there for the rest of the day, my mom, two younger brothers and I were forced to spend what was the worst day of my life (best day of the boys' lives) at the World's Largest Firework Store Slash Truck Stop. Being the typical male adolescent pyromaniacs, they convinced my mom they needed to spend the requisite $100 to get an "awesome" free hat. I could not have been more miserable. They were in heaven.

After three meals at McDonalds, reviewing every type of firework sold, illegally gambling money on slot machines, and almost getting run over on a highway overpass, we were finally reunited with my dad.

Turns out his day was even more eventful. Since the mechanic didn't have the part required, he hitched a ride with some people who also needed a part from the nearby junkyard. Except their car broke down on the way. So he fixed their car on the side of the road. No big deal. Got the part, went back to our car and fixed it too.

What a guy. Like I said, mythological creature.

Thanks for everything you do, dad! Love you!