Fathers’ Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, parental bonds, and the influence of fathers on society. The influence of fathers (or mentors) got me to thinking today about my own father. My father taught me the value of hard work. He was a farmer in the years when farming wasn’t as easy as it is now. We didn’t have 56 row planters and combines that steer themselves. Us kids worked in the fields alongside dad when he considered us old enough. We drove before we were legally able to but we lived 15 miles outside of town where our nearest neighbor was a mile away. We picked rocks, drove tractor, disced the fields, drove the grain wagons to the elevator and had chores of our own including raising (and butchering) chickens in the summer. My siblings and I now all live within an hour drive of home (except my sister who lives in Russia). We have tons of fun when we all get together (which we do very often) reminiscing about our childhood and the things that our father taught us.
Sometimes we choose not to listen to our Fathers (or mentors) and sometimes we learn later in life that the advice that they gave you was really good advice (and in the case of my father, some of it still causes us to laugh and cherish him a little more). I also asked some of our brokers for any advice that their fathers had given them.
My Old Pappy Used to Say:
- He’s as crooked as a snake in the grass
- Charge it to the dust and let the rain settle it
- I eat my pees with honey, I’ve done it all my life. It makes them taste kinda funny but at least they stay on my knife.
- Have a good day unless you don’t have other plans
- Don’t pee into the wind
- Never drive behind an old man with a hat
- When I was a kid, we used to have to walk to school in the driving snow, uphill, both ways
- Whatever makes your socks go up and down
- Your wife is your partner (Paul Richter)
- Always dress well (Ed Pachecano)
- You are never to old to tell your dad you love him (Michael Grant)
- If you lay down with dogs, you get up with fleas. (Susan Singer)
- You make your money when you buy. (Richmond Collinsworth)
- My Father told me to be bold with my decisions and ask for forgiveness after the fact , if needed (Sharon Friedberg)
- You’re the master of your own destiny. (Erik Blais)
Gail K. Markham oversees Bradford’s Corporate Communications program.
