If I could go back in time to my dad's high school days … Challenge
A new challenge from Pamela Oglesby and Randy Pulley and Lynn L. Alexander
I’ve seen three stories today written for this challenge.
Here is Randy’s version … as his was the first one that made me realize I needed to write mine too. (Mine is directly underneath Randy’s here.)
(The other two that I read are below at the bottom of this page for you all to see.)
Randy’s story above spurred me on only because of what my father went through, and I cannot imagine what my dad would have been like in high school. I wish I could go back to see. Perhaps only as a fly on the wall…
There is much that remains a mystery to me about my father’s younger self. But to me, he was the best.
My dad's father had left his wife and their three sons early in his life.
He just up and left (is the way I heard it…)
Not much to that story other than dad told me that if it weren’t for the Lord Jesus and the Salvation Army and the W.P.A. Projects, they’d have all starved.
I am so thankful that the nearby Salvation Army church took all three boys under their wing, taught them about the love of Jesus, and put a brass musical instrument into each of their hands and taught them to play… immediately and quite well.
That musical ability eventually went with my dad during the tail end of WW2 over to Rome, Italy where he played in the U.S. Army jazz band … among other things, they broadcast live to the U.S.A. via radio from Mussolini’s palace.
I did know that my father’s best friend since childhood was my mom's cousin…Chuck.
Chuck and his parents (my mom’s aunt Mary and uncle Ben) lived a little further up north than my dad did…in San Francisco. Since my mom’s aunt and uncle owned a bakery in S.F., my dad was able to learn the bakery trade and earn some income to send back to his family in Santa Rosa. (Dad had not yet met my mom at this point but would meet her not long after this and they’d fall in love at a very early age.)
I don’t know what High School dad went to at that time, but I sure do know that he learned how to play a mean Trombone and many other brass instruments in the Salvation Army.
Dad had the gift of music (which was passed down to me and then on to our son).
God is good and if I could go back to see who my dad was during his high school age, I imagine I’d see a happy go lucky sort of young man that loved to laugh and enjoyed people of all sorts. His sense of humor was contagious and almost every day I think of something funny and KNOW my dad would laugh his butt off if I could tell it to him.
I never saw him angry except for once. And hubs and I were there to see it.
It was after mom's aunt Mary died (Chuck’s mother) … and Mary had left dad $100.00 in her will. The letter arrived the day hubs and I were visiting mom and dad.
Mom’s “Aunt Mary” had always loved dad as if he was her own son. She was there for dad when he needed a job at her bakery. Her husband, Ben, was also strong into music thanks to the Salvation Army. They were a stabilizing force in dads' life. I imagine them being like a second family to dad.
So, the day the letter arrived, Mom and dad were discussing it in front of us. They discussed what dad “should do” with the money. Actually, mom was discussing it. Dad already knew what he would do.
And hubs and I both sat there…right in the middle of that discussion while trying to act like a fly on the wall.
Yes, that was the only day that I ever saw dad angry.
(Btw…Dad got his way, and I sent up a silent cheer!)
Oh, to know the secrets of the past…but then again, I think it’s best we just remember those we love as we knew them.
Not everyone needs to know everything.
Right?
Here are the other two writers that I have read from this challenge: Lynn L. Alexander and Pamela Oglesby
Enjoy your day. If you choose to write this challenge, please tag me so I can read yours too.
Thank you!!
Lu 💜
James Scannell , Diana Pippin , Lauren Alida , Jfknouse , Pamela Oglesby , Randy Pulley , Lynn L. Alexander , TzeLin Sam , Deb Palmer , Tina , Trisha Faye , Dawn Ulmer