Relationships

So, the pops has moved back to the big cow town in order to be closer to his new granddaughter. We’ve never had the closest of relationships, or been the best of friends. As with many Father/son relationships, there was a whole lot of head butting, fist fights (taught me how to take a punch and grin afterwords, annoyed him, and others, to no end) and disagreements that came between the two of us. Truth be told I think I may have run into him only once or twice throughout my 20’s and into my 30’s.

I moved out before I graduated H.S., moved back temporarily during a rock bottom burnout at 19 which lasted all of a few months. The few times I ran into him I could see the regret/sadness in his eyes and, truth be told, didn’t give a shit. I was angry and determined to do whatever I needed to in order to be his complete opposite. It wasn’t until recently that I really started to think about the things he, as a single father, went through to raise the three of us.

The mother was a bit of a tramp and managed, after years of questionable success, to get her knickers dropped and dutifully knocked up. Ok so it takes two, and as my East Indian Convenience clerk enthusiastically says, “can’t fuck for free”. 9 months later the little mistake is dropped from box and both rents are miserable. Two more bandages to repair the original mistake and the mother is diagnosed with a disease she thinks is the end of the world. Fast forward a year and a half and she fly’s the coop leaving the old man with three brats and debt up to the eyebrows. Moral: Don’t marry Hungarian. Too fucking high maintenance.

Here’s where the respect for the old man comes in. He raised three kids all alone. No wife. No alimony. No family. Nothing. He worked 13 plus hours once we were all in day care. He did this no questions asked (Although there were HEAPS of guilt and other shit we dealt with, but that’s all water under the bridge now). Sure, he slipped, he missed things, he was too strict, he swung first asked questions later, but in the end, he raised 3 pretty sane kids. I won’t speak for what my sisters went through, but I know we all had our difficulties with the old man. They have both since made up, and now it’s high time the eldest did the same.

So, since he’s going to be in my little girls’ life, I‘ve been given an opportunity to mend past mistakes and ill feelings. We have little in common other than a love of things mechanical. I plan on buying a 48-54 Chevy/Ford pick-up for us to strip and re-build together. I have always wanted one of these trucks, he’s always picking up old(er) cars to tinker with, so I’m hoping this can bring us together. Only time will tell, but, the way I see it, it’s the very least I could do for someone who put everything aside in order to raise us.

Wish us luck!