My dad has been gone almost fourteen years now. I wish I could sum him up in a few sentences
for you, but there is so much that could be said. A single blog just isn't enough. He was loud, stubborn, funny, and strong; the
life of the party and a man who loved to laugh (His nickname was “Smiley” for
goodness sake). He had a number of odd
friends and loyal companions. Yes, friends,
TLC would have salivated at the sight of that motley crew. A “reality show” before reality shows
existed!
A man of eccentric ways and strange ideas, my father was generally
convinced he was on the verge of some great new discovery or life changing
invention. There were times as a kid when
I would be fortunate enough to be part of these schemes – or either I was
simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But nevertheless, I was thrown into the mix.
A large part of my involvement generally consisted of me
being sent to “find” certain items. Many
hours of my young life were spent scavenging dumpsters, combing through scrapyards,
and basically loading and unloading truckloads of…well…junk. As I got older, my dad thought there was
nothing I couldn't find for him if I tried.
Whether it was a part for a lawn mower that no longer existed, or a very
specifically shaped piece of scrap metal for the new “engine” he was creating –
if it was at all possible, he expected me to find it.
Towards the end of his life, he told me about this cactus
cologne he wanted. He had seen it on
some late night infomercial, and he wanted me to find it. Of course, he remembered absolutely no details
at all about the product – only that it existed. And for once, I tried. Not like when I was a kid, I mean I REALLY
tried to find it. For almost I year I
searched, Googled, asked around. But I
never found it.
It suppose it shouldn't have bothered me so much, but it
did. It bothered me that he died before
I was able to find it. For fourteen
years, whenever I thought about it I’d do a search for it. Fourteen years! And this year, guess what. I found it!
And I ordered it! I am now the
proud owner of a small cheap bottle of cactus cologne. And when it arrives, in honor of my father, I
will wear it. At least for one day
;) Merry Christmas, Nobles.
