Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!

Labels: Eb's Pics / My life

When getting ready to write this post... I thought to myself many may think I don't even have a father in my life. I am always talking about my mom and how close we are and I honestly don't think I have ever mentioned my dad on this blog. True indeed me and him aren't as close as my mom but he has always been in my life. Here they are with me when they were together.I call him by his first name. Never have called him dad. The story I was told is that I called him that when I was little... you know, how all kids do because they hear all the other adults calling them that, and the parent usually corrects them and tells them to call them mom or dad. Well my dad never did that... plus I was really close to my grandfather JW who I looked at as more of a father anyway.

My dad was going to turn 19, 2 weeks after I was born.He didn't know what to do with me, and til this day I still think he needed a son. Lucky for him I wasn't that girlie girl growing up. I swear I had every new pair of sneakers that ever came out. That's all he was really consistent at buying. From the time I could walk he had me out running on the track. He was a track and football star back home. Still holds the record for the 110 high hurdles I think. Made it to every last one of my track meets too. Something at church though, or dance, or even volleyball.. he never showed his face.

He's had his bumps in the road, was going to play in the NFL but got hurt and was released in camp. When I was a teenager I used to wonder what my life would have been like if he had made the team. I see these bratty lil kids on Super Sweet 16 on MTV and am like damn that could have been me. But everything happens for a reason.

My father never shows any emotion. The only time I've seen my father vulnerable was when my uncle Stevie was killed. I remember my dad missing for days and everyone in the family worried about him. Til this day no one knows where he disappeared to. I remember right after the funeral he took all the classes he needed to get a license to have a firearm and kept it in the glove compartment of his trans am. It was weird for me because my dad was never a fighter or a gangster. He was and still is the clown of the family. I mean he wouldn't even whoop me. Every time I did something wrong he brought me to my grandfather to do it because he just couldn't hit me. Even when I missed curfew by like 3 hours in high school, he didn't say anything to me and instead cussed the boy out who had dropped me off that late and dropped me off at my mom's house for her to do the grounding.

I remember my dad being the biggest pimp. I lived with my mom until my senior year in high school, then I moved in with him. Before that his visitation was to have me every other weekend, and then half the day on holidays. I remember being over there and he would have 2 girls over the house at the same time and for the life of me I couldn't understand why they didn't know that they were both there for him.

My dad was a big fronter though. He was definitely a lover at heart and never really listened to Hip Hop. Every time I got in his car he was bumping some R&B. Maybe the reason I am prone to it so since my mom listened to a lot of dance and club music growing up. He is the one who put me on to Tracy Chapman. I remember him showing me the CD while we were riding in the car and I thought she was a man. He laughed hysterically.

Him and my mom didn't really get along. She talked junk about him being sorry at times which could really play a toll on most kids but I defended him every time she said something. In my eyes, even though he hadn't been the best dad, he could do no wrong. Then I grew up!
He taught me to never depend on a man for anything including him. Til this day I am my father's only child. I thought for sure there was some sort of college fund for me, but when it was time for me to go, there was no money. I was pissed seeing that he had just brought a brand new corvette the year before I graduated. I really felt he didn't have his priorities in order but shook it off. Worked 3 jobs after high school, missed my first semester, but saved all my money so that I was in NC by 2nd semester. He didn't even drive me to school, said he had to work. My boyfriend at the time drove me to school. This whole situation made me stronger though and I wouldn't have changed it for the world.

He was really into cars and a independent dealer at the time so he did get me a car before I left. A 1991 Toyota Tercel even though I wanted a Mitsubishi Eclipse.

While in college, I remember calling him asking him to send me some money and him saying he was going to although it didn't always show up. There have been birthdays and even a Christmas' since I've been grown that I haven't gotten anything from him, but I was never bitter. It's never been in my blood to hold a grudge. I love football the way I do because of him, I am a cowboy fan because of him, and I have had the opportunity to get him tix to games, autographs, pictures, etc. to bring a smile. At times I even second guessed all the things I have done for him like why, but again I have never been that girl to turn her back on her dad no matter what he did or didn't do. Although he shows no emotion and has never said it, I know he is proud of me and ultimately that's all that matters. So Happy Father's Day Skonion...lol, that's his nickname. You haven't been the best dad, but your my dad and I love you!

Happy Father's Day to my favorite blogging daddies, 12kyle, MP1, and Dave as well as all the rest of the daddies in the blogosphere.