CHARLESTON, W.Va. — If you hunt or fish, it’s probably a safe bet you were set on that path years ago by your dad. I know there are some exceptions, but for most of us our first experiences in the outdoors came with our father.
I can remember following Dad’s footsteps at age three and four while squirrel hunting in a place we called “The Beech Hollow”. He would always explain a foggy, rainy morning was the best time to hunt them because it was much easier to move quietly through the woods and the squirrels would be active.
My first fishing trips were to a place we called “the steamplant.” It was a spot along the Holston River near Rogersville, Tennessee. We would fish from a long rip-rap bank downstream from the John Sevier power plant. Stripers would run up the river in March and April and at times go into a feeding frenzy. However, to get to the bank, you had to walk almost a mile. Daddy would dutifully carry 90 percent of the gear. I vividly remember in a rain storm he made a tent out of a poncho and some nylon cord, then built a fire to make himself a pot of coffee and keep me warm.
We spent nights in deer camps laughing until our sides hurt. There was always a story of some caper to be shared and a few to be experienced. Those would generally become stories to be shared in future get together’s.
Dad taught me how to bait hooks, clean fish, and skin squirrels, but it wasn’t limited to the outdoors. He taught me how to hoe a garden, castrate a bull, plumb a sink, change oil and tires. I learned how to drive a nail, make a square cut on a board, turn a wrench, mow grass, rake a lettuce bed, patch a hole in a roof, tie knots, sharpen a pocket knife, and whittle.
Daddy was a football fan. He explained first downs, hash marks, and the line of scrimmage. He taught me to catch a baseball with the web of the glove so it didn’t hurt as much and to keep my eye on the ball when I bat. He tried to teach me the underhand hook shot, but I could never do it. But win, lose, or draw it was always most important to be a good sport.
My dad was a school teacher, certified to teach English, history, civics, geography, and economics. He made certain I could write a complete sentence, speak with correct grammar, and immediately identify my elected representatives. I learned about prepositional phrases, adverbs, run-on sentences and fragments. He taught me to read a road map around the same time I learned to read. When I arrived in high school I could chart nearly all of the battlefield movements of Grant and Lee in the Civil War. I also learned there were costs and sacrifices in war, but much to be gained like a solid U.S. Constitution. Daddy was adamant I should know that document well and all it represents.
Dad was my Sunday school teacher. He taught me how to pray, how to help others less fortunate, how to study the Bible, how to count my blessings, and how to forgive. If you want to learn more about bible lessons, you might be interested in this Orange Curriculum.
Dad was raised at a time when to have anything was to have much. He taught me to be grateful for what I have, but always work to achieve more. He would advise not to expect a handout or look for a short cut. His advice was to take responsibility for yourself and with hard work, dedication, and perseverance your goals were always within reach.
“You can do anything you set your mind to,” he always said.
He taught me to take pride in my work. Another of his favorite sayings, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” He’d go on to explain even if you were just digging a ditch, make it the best looking ditch anybody had ever seen.
When he’d drop me off for school, his last words before heading to work himself were without fail, “Do your best.” Sometimes, I can still hear his voice saying those words today when I walk across the parking lot from my car to the door of the radio station at 3:45 a.m.
Today he’s a little older. He moves a little slower. He has the aches and pains which come with age, but you’d never know it. He would never complain about anything, probably thinking it would be a waste of time.
But I’m blessed to still have him. I call him at least once a week. I should do it more. I visit when I can, again I should do it more. He will always be an inspiration and he still offers advice and life lessons. However, unlike when I was a boy, I now have to ask. Dad taught me many, many things which equipped me for life and I have been richly served by his lessons. However, what may be his greatest lesson is the example he set. He knew the importance of passing along everything you can to your children and inspire them to someday pass along their accumulated knowledge and wisdom to their children.
If you’re lucky enough to still have your dad, make sure you give him a call or pay him a visit this Father’s Day weekend. I’m sure he’d love to hear from you.