A father's day too

I was 19 years old; the leaves had turned yellow and red for autumn. It was a Saturday, maybe Sunday; I was having lunch with my girlfriend Georgina (her real name by the way. I love her name.) We were uptown in a little eatery. There was an older couple sitting at a table in front of us. They were maybe our parents age, possibly younger. The male half of the couple facing me seemed uncomfortable. Maybe they were fighting; I thought.    

I didn’t recognize him right away, but the way he kept dodging his head from side to side, as if not wanting to be seen, made me look at him even harder.

And then I saw it.

It took some time,

But I saw it.

I knew why he wouldn’t look at his lady friend straight on, because if he had I would get a clear view of his face.

It was the principal from my old high school. The one dad yelled at in my freshman year.

Even the most obvious can be overlooked until you force people to look at it. I hadn’t thought about my old principal since dad took me out of that high school. Had he just acted natural I wouldn’t have noticed him sitting before me now. But apparently he recognized me right away.

“The guy’s a moron. I’m not having my daughter attend school run by a moron.” Dad said. Never mind the fact I had older brothers still in the same high school.

And so, I attended a new school, made all new friends.

“Do you know that guy?” Georgina asked when she saw me staring at my old principal.

I explained to her who he was.

“Poor guy,” Georgina sympathized.

I saw what she meant. He couldn’t even look at me. I suspect most Principals (back then) didn’t get yelled at by parents much, if at all. These days who knows?   

I wanted to explain to him that dad wasn’t trying to interfere with his responsibilities as a Principal; my dad just didn’t want to be bothered by something he already knew was true, even (especially!) if the other guy incorrectly thought it was false, particularly something as superficial as a sick-note.  

That,

And I’m my dad’s kid. He shows his love (like me) the best way he knows how.  

Dad did best he could. I’m still alive, healthy, and not stalking or killing people, so that has to count for something!

Happy Father’s Day