things my father taught me

 

1.     always carry a pocket knife.  there are envelopes and boxes to be opened, sticks to whittle and many other uses.  i carry my dad's.
2.     going along with #1 - always sure your knives are sharp.  dull knives are dangerous.
3.     home cooked always tastes better than going to to eat.  always.
4.     pancake saturdays (or sundays) are made for fun and memories.  i will never ever forget that my dad would stand there making pancakes until everyone was stuffed to the gills.
5.     peeled apples with a bit of salt make a wonderful snack.  (he could peel an apple in one long strand of peel with his pocketknife)
6.     how to change a tire and where the water and oil go in my car.  even the part about putting the lug nuts back on in a star pattern (if you have five.)
7.     the ability to laugh at myself.  he would do that often - laugh at himself.  plus he had this silly made up language for different things...like doughnuts were called "doorknobs", pancakes were "pam-m-cakes", bananas were "bingbongs".  we laughed a lot.
8.     saying "i love you" was always a good thing - both mom and dad taught me this really.  i love you was said often in our house.
9.     how to hold my temper.  my dad had a terrible temper at times...well, sometimes a lot time but he got more mellow as he was older.  as a result, i learned to be more patient and not to fly off the handle - sort of that reverse thing...but i still attribute this lesson to him.
10.   the best way to approach a problem was head on - my dad didn't tiptoe around something - he did it and asked for apologies later.  sometimes that worked out well and sometimes it didn't.
11.   to mind my own business - he was not a gossip and he was a private man.  he always figured if people wanted him to know something, they would tell him.
12.  to always keep at least a week of vacation and a week of sick leave.  you never know when you may have an emergency or the need to have a break.
13.   never ask someone else to do something you wouldn't do yourself.  it's a matter of respect.
14.   how to appreciate a good piece of science fiction - he loved star trek and i have seen each of the movies and think of him every time.  he also loved james bond and anything with clint eastwood.
15.  never make promises that you couldn't keep - back up your word - your word is your reputation.  if you said something, you better mean it.  he didn't hold with liars, cheats or cowards.