Field Notes

Well, Father’s Day is almost complete. This is the first Father’s day since my Dad passed away March 11, 2008. In celebration of my Dad, I spent the entire day enjoying my own family. My mother told me today that she feels that I am an excellent Dad to my two kids. If that is so, it is my Dad I have to thank for teaching me how to be a good father and husband. So, this post will be about my Dad, philosophy, and family.

My Dad was a the child of immigrant parents. He lived in New York city, in The Village before The Village was kitsch. He worked hard. His father passed away when my Dad was only 17. Through his hardwork and the support of his older brother Frank, my Dad attended Stuyvesant High School in New York. A school that one could only attend with excellent academic performance. My Dad was always first in his class. From there my Dad attended City College of New York. Although the same CCNY as today, at that time one had to maintain an excellent GPA in order to attend free of charge. While at CCNY, my Dad participate in Army ROTC, was a member of the Persian rifles, was a classmate of Colin Powell, and graduated with an Electrical Engineering degree. Following college he served the Army as a signal corp lieutenant.

My Dad worked for RCA for his entire life. While there he earned two Masters Degrees, one in Electrical Engineering and the other an MBA. From my seat, my Dad’s greatest achievement was his participation in the event of the millennium. My Dad was one of four persons who designed, tested and built the altimeter and rendezvous radars for the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. Never before in the history of man has such an accomplishment been achieved.

My Dad single handedly put me and my two brothers through college. He never asked for us to repay him. He wanted us to succeed and have an easer life than he did and to take the momentum he began and advance his family.

Because no testament to a parent or friend would be complete without the obligatory, “I wish I had …” (fill in the blank, “spent more time”, “spoken more”, etc.) I will add mine. I wish I had taken the time to speak more frequently with my Dad. But alas, life is always busy. Harry Chapin hit the nail on the head. The song is 100% correct.

So, in honor of my Dad, I spent the day not missing a moment of life. I worked on my house, I played in the pool with my kids, I played video games with my son, I danced with my daughter, I BBQ’d on the grill, and, as my Dad always did, I treated my wife like gold and the treasure that she is. My Mom and Dad knew each other for 65 years and he always treated her like gold.

I miss you Dad. We think of you often and your can think of more than a dozen times since your death that I have said, “I should call my Dad.”

My final word, “Call your Dad if you can.” He wants to hear from you and you know it. If you have strife between you, bury it for this one day for we know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee. Don’t miss today.  Carpe Diem.