Esoteric Bowl

I remember as a child reading the biblical story of Adam and Eve. I sat and wondered why in the world would the two of them disobey God’s instructions in taking from the tree of knowledge. Considering how good they had it, their action didn’t make sense. All of their wants and desires were satisfied, and they knew nothing of pain and grief. If they had just listened, I thought, the rest of us wouldn’t have it so hard today.

Years later in my teens, I reread this story. As one might expect, my perspective of the story was much different. I no longer saw their act of rebellion as something wrong or that the rest of us were still paying for, but rather in a roundabout way I saw their rebellion and subsequent punishment as a gift for us all. Granted, there are definite perks in being endlessly cared for and without a worry in the world, but much can be said for having the opportunity to develop independent thoughts and becoming an individual.

Today is my Father’s birthday. One may ask, what does this have to do with the above text? Well, I’ll tell you. For the first eleven years of my life, Dad was a Marine in the United States Marine Corps. He was a Marine long before I was born and he was a Marine before he met my mother. He fought wars in Korea and Viet Nam, and for a while he held one of the most honored and valuable positions a Marine can hold in being a drill instructor.

To say that my father was a tough S.O.B. would be an understatement. Standing at 6′ 5″ with a bass voice that immediately grabs attention from across the room, Dad has an imposing presence that can intimidate man and child alike. Admittedly, Dad was strict with my brothers and I, and there were times when I felt like I was one of his recruits in boot-camp. Dad didn’t have a lot of rules, but the rules he did have were made clear and they were enforced.

One might assume that a man with a physical presence and background of my father would have a mentality of My way or the highway. That wasn’t the case. Although he was strict, he was fair. And while there have been classic moments when his patience ran a bit thin, he has always encouraged my brothers and I to be independent thinkers. Being a self-taught person, Dad’s broad knowledge has allowed him to discuss with us our own diverse interests in detail. In one conversation he could be heard exchanging thoughts on the intricacies of rebuilding an engine, and in the following conversation he might be discussing the bell and nose of a particular Merlot.

Many nights in my youth, Dad and I could be found arguing/discussing politics. These are some of my fondest memories spent with Dad. While we often disagreed during such conversations, he allowed and encouraged me to have my own voice. And while he knew that my brothers and I would make countless mistakes, he put his trust in us anyway. Never did he say to my brothers and I that this is the answer for religion or politics or whatever. Instead, he inspired each of us to explore the world; not in his way, but in our own.

Happy Birthday, Old Man!

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 14th, 2005 at 7:17 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.