Aside from holiday wishes to Peter, I’m not exactly sure what to think about this day, let alone commemorate it.
\nSuffice it to say that I wish that Mother’s Day AND Father’s Day would go the way of minor holidays, like Arbor Day.<\/p>
\nThe commercial translation of parental role stereotypes has become, well, ridiculous, at least in my circle.
\nMother’s Day is an embarassment because there’s an underlying assumption of kvetchy dissatisfaction with being under-appreciated.
\nFather’s Day is laughable because it’s based on supposedly manly attachments to sports, power tools and, I suppose, the giving of sage advice to the youngsters on how to be successful in life.
\nPeter respects my wish to be remembered on Father’s Day rather than that “nobody loves me, waa” one in May. Still, I can’t recall our having done any special bonding thing in the past, other than gifts and funny cards.
\nThis year is notable, though, because I FINALLY bought myself a pick-up truck, something I’ve wanted to do for probably 10 years or more.
\nMy loyal Sube has over 220,000 miles, and is becoming less reliable than one would like for sole source of transportation.
\nI let a friend borrow it for a few days to she if she’d like to keep it. If she doesn’t, I may hang on to it for back-up, or I might donate it.
\nAnyway, Peter is gleeful about the truck, and took it for a ride last night. It’s a Toyota Tacoma, 4WD, and has the amenities I’ve done without, like a working radio, air conditioning, even a CD and tape player.
\nIt’s pretty high off the road, which is a fantastic new experience for me, especially here in the land of the pseudo-macho “tailgate and cut ’em off” crowd. I feel 100% safer in the truck for that reason alone.
\nI have to get some accessories, like a toolbox, to compensate for not having a trunk, but the convenience of being able to actually load stuff in one’s own vehicle is liberating.
\nBest of all, as Peter said last evening, it’s a dependable vehicle in snow, something I don’t enjoy, and goodness knows, we had enough of it last winter.
\nI’m also looking forward to the whole off-roading experience.
\nSo, we have something to share this Father’s Day that makes it a little more memorable than usual.
\nHappy Father’s Day, and keep on truckin’.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Aside from holiday wishes to Peter, I’m not exactly sure what to think about this day, let alone commemorate it. Suffice it to say that I wish that Mother’s Day AND Father’s Day would go the way of minor holidays, … Continue reading