In Memoriam

Bad news on New Year's Eve of 2009, as my dad succumbed to the cancer he'd been fighting since September....
All of the cliches are true, you know. I want to write things about how I'd always wished we could have been closer, but assumed there'd be more time; I want to write about what a great man he was; how I never really got a chance to tell him how fortunate my family was to have him around...and I'd mean all of it.


But Dad being who he was, I'd rather write about one key aspect of his personality that may have been overlooked by those who would have just known him as a quiet, easy-going sort of guy. Namely, his sense of humor. Dad was someone who appreciated a deeper kind of comedy -- he'd laugh at things in which most others wouldn't be able to find irony, which I think is highly admirable in a person. For instance, when I was about 16 and had just received my driver's license, we were standing by the garage and Dad was telling me how to pump gas for the first time. Lighting a cigarette, he said, "Yeah, pumping gas is great because it gives you a chance to get out of the car for a minute and smoke!" A random comment, but a good example of the kind of thing he'd say about the mundane. Offbeat and funny to the right people on multiple levels. Along with several other things, I think my sense of humor comes from him. Heck, I remember being a kid and staying up late to watch George Carlin specials together. He'd say, "Don't tell Mom I let you see this!" Woops, I guess I just did.

It was horrible to watch him in the state he was in shortly before his death, but at least the family had a chance to tell the man who never complained about anything that he was valued and loved. Moving forward, I'll try to live up his example, as I think the world would be well-served to have in it more people who are so mild, reliable, and kind-hearted. Should I ever have a family, I'll treat it as my dad treated his. He was a stand-up guy in every way -- someone who could always be counted on...just like my mother.

I'll get back to the business of reviewing crappy movies soon, as Dad (a modest man) certainly wouldn't have wanted people to dwell on his passing forever. I just had to take a moment to honor the guy who raised me. Here's to hoping that 2010 turns out better than 2009, a year which couldn't possibly have ended in a worse way.

Miss you, Dad.

b.