Some of the posts on here are heartbreaking and confirm to me just how lucky I am to have the dad I do.
He's a character that's for sure. A bit of an Arthur Daley, I guess you might say. He's a self-made man but he never goes on about how poor he was when he was a kid like most people who've improved their lot in life do; it was only my grandparents who filled me in about how poor they were in the 30's & 40's. I think my grandad used to knock my gran about when he'd had a drink but again I didn't hear this off my dad either, but his brother, so he keeps a lot to himself.
In many ways we are very similar, especially our mannerisms and it's something my mum comments on often. We're both fairly independent spirits and are always cracking jokes. In other respects we differ greatly though. He is tee-total and I think anyone who knows me would attest that I am definitely not and he's not very good at conveying his feelings whereas I am a very expressive with my mine. So we're not peas in a pod that's for sure and have disagreed with each other quite robustly and often, not least because we are both very head-strong.
I have dealt with a lot of intelligent people in my working life but only a couple match up to my dad. He is remarkably clever. He's also a very fair man too.
One other thing is football. He is a big united fan and long term season ticket holder, as are all the immediate family and I've been the butt of most of their jokes for 30 odd years (or rather was!). It has been pretty relentless at times, but I was thinking a while back and when I was a kid I used to mither him to death to take me to Maine Road and he usually did. I think my City supporting has always been a source of bewilderment to him and I expect he thought I'd grow out of it when I was older, but I never did and was never going to of course - the headstrong nature that I got off him saw to that. I thanked him for taking me there at some point recently. He looked a bit non-plussed as to why I said it, but I'm glad I did nonetheless.
As I poster earlier he's my hero. He's an amazing man and he's had such a colourful life. I love him very much and tell him often. He rarely tells me, but I know he loves me too. He's a great bloke, my dad.
The dirty fucking red bastard.
