I like to say that my relationship with women was formulated by good female role models starting with my dad. Wait a minute? Dad?
My dad was a war hero in WW II. He was a bombardier in B-17 and on his 4th combat mission, his plane was severely damaged and both pilot and copilot were too injured to fly, so he took control of the wounded Fortress and brought it back to a safe landing in England.
After the war, he was a blue-collar worker (steamfitter) who smoked cigars, drank beer, watch boxing on TV and liked to go fishing. Mom was a typical stay-at-home, clean-the-house, cook-the-meals and raise-the-kids housewife who swept the floors and did the laundry in a house dress.
You could not get more “Honeymooners” than that. Each of my parents played their stereotypical roles faithfully. However it was obvious that they loved each other. More importantly, they respected each other. Dad never treated mom like the “little woman.” She was uneducated, but intelligent and her opinion and her well-being was obviously important to him
Mom, of course, reciprocated.
The both of them set the bar high for my concept of what a male-female relationship should be. My wife and I raised that bar for our sons.
On this All Saints Day, I remember both dad and mom.
I like to say that my relationship with women was formulated by good female role models starting with my dad. Wait a minute? Dad?
My dad was a war hero in WW II. He was a bombardier in B-17 and on his 4th combat mission, his plane was severely damaged and both pilot and copilot were too injured to fly, so he took control of the wounded Fortress and brought it back to a safe landing in England.
After the war, he was a blue-collar worker (steamfitter) who smoked cigars, drank beer, watch boxing on TV and liked to go fishing. Mom was a typical stay-at-home, clean-the-house, cook-the-meals and raise-the-kids housewife who swept the floors and did the laundry in a house dress.
You could not get more “Honeymooners” than that. Each of my parents played their stereotypical roles faithfully. However it was obvious that they loved each other. More importantly, they respected each other. Dad never treated mom like the “little woman.” She was uneducated, but intelligent and her opinion and her well-being was obviously important to him
Mom, of course, reciprocated.
The both of them set the bar high for my concept of what a male-female relationship should be. My wife and I raised that bar for our sons.
On this All Saints Day, I remember both dad and mom.