One of the first men I ever met was this cool dude that introduced me to all my "cousins", thought it was funny and adorable that I thought gin was white, sang Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'" to me and made me cry because I thought he was leaving me (I was like 4 and never told anyone why I cried until now), and decorated a watermelon for me on my birthday instead of a cake. That was the best birthday "cake" ever. His name was Rico, El Freak Forrealo, Garcia, and eventually Rev. Carter. I called him Daddy and he was one cool dude. Seriously, I still get told that on a regular basis.
I'm not sure where to really start when it comes to my daddy. Over the years, I've heard, "Garcia's a trip" more times than I could ever count. That doesn't help me narrow things down, though. Daddy was a trip because he expected things that no one else had the audacity to even imagine. He was a trip because he could rival Einstein on the inventions he dreamed up. When you're able to say, "Call Mike" and a hologram of Mike is standing in front of you thanks to a chip in your head, you might briefly (and erroneously) think of George Lucas. Nope, that would be my daddy's idea. There are others that he talked about years ago and now exist. Unfortunately for the world, he was too busy to make them.
Speaking of being busy, that's another way he was a trip. He was a doer. He had a decent job with great benefits despite not having a high school diploma. He worked full time and came home at night to study for his GED, which he earned. He wanted us to live in a house so he fasted, prayed, got some books and support of friends, and built us a house by working each day after work, except most Wednesdays because that was Bible Study night.
Often people would say my daddy was a trip because his thinking was never dictated by popular vote. There were things he encouraged me to do and things he would not allow me to do and he didn't care what people thought about, especially once he had prayed on the thing. We bumped heads a lot because he felt I was supposed to follow his instructions unconditionally. I only went to college, in his eyes, to bide my time until some man asked him for my hand in marriage. I guess i should still be in school, then. I, according to him, was still in his household since I was unmarried. I and my rent check I had just written didn't agree with him. He felt I, my cousin who had three children, and other single mothers should live in a rehabbed nursing home he was going to buy so that we could share the work of raising the children. I'm good!
I really could go on and on about my daddy but the facts are he truly has inspired and shaped my life and I really miss him. There are some things that I didn't appreciate fully, some things I'm starting to appreciate as a parent and a person, and some things about him I may never understand. Yep, he was a trip and I wouldn't have traded him for the world.
I'm not sure where to really start when it comes to my daddy. Over the years, I've heard, "Garcia's a trip" more times than I could ever count. That doesn't help me narrow things down, though. Daddy was a trip because he expected things that no one else had the audacity to even imagine. He was a trip because he could rival Einstein on the inventions he dreamed up. When you're able to say, "Call Mike" and a hologram of Mike is standing in front of you thanks to a chip in your head, you might briefly (and erroneously) think of George Lucas. Nope, that would be my daddy's idea. There are others that he talked about years ago and now exist. Unfortunately for the world, he was too busy to make them.
Speaking of being busy, that's another way he was a trip. He was a doer. He had a decent job with great benefits despite not having a high school diploma. He worked full time and came home at night to study for his GED, which he earned. He wanted us to live in a house so he fasted, prayed, got some books and support of friends, and built us a house by working each day after work, except most Wednesdays because that was Bible Study night.
Often people would say my daddy was a trip because his thinking was never dictated by popular vote. There were things he encouraged me to do and things he would not allow me to do and he didn't care what people thought about, especially once he had prayed on the thing. We bumped heads a lot because he felt I was supposed to follow his instructions unconditionally. I only went to college, in his eyes, to bide my time until some man asked him for my hand in marriage. I guess i should still be in school, then. I, according to him, was still in his household since I was unmarried. I and my rent check I had just written didn't agree with him. He felt I, my cousin who had three children, and other single mothers should live in a rehabbed nursing home he was going to buy so that we could share the work of raising the children. I'm good!
I really could go on and on about my daddy but the facts are he truly has inspired and shaped my life and I really miss him. There are some things that I didn't appreciate fully, some things I'm starting to appreciate as a parent and a person, and some things about him I may never understand. Yep, he was a trip and I wouldn't have traded him for the world.