Last week I found my old birth certificate and I was interested to see the part where my father's profession and place of employment were listed. "Kind of business or industry: Granite High School" and "Usual Occupation: School Teacher and Foot Ball Coach." He was 25.
Coincidentally it was also my 56th birthday last week. Yessir I'm 56 born in '56! I drove out to the place in Holladay where our house no longer stands (it was replaced years ago by a library) and looked at Mt. Olympus. It's the same view I remember as a little girl, lying on my back on a field of grass, staring east.
So my dad went on to have this singular career, and I won't lie. A lot of the time it was a full-on, wind-in-your-hair, hang-on-for-the-best-bitchin'-roller-coaster-ride-in-your-whole-damn-life blast. But I cherish the time before most of all. The time before when he was young and growing rows of tomatoes in the backyard and selling shoes at Sears on the weekends in addition to being a "School Teacher" and a "Foot Ball Coach," wondering where it would all go.
6 comments:
dammit, you're a good writer.
Yep. What Lisa B. said. That vision of your young dad, growing tomatoes, selling shoes, back before he had an inkling of becoming God of Football--wow. Which pairs up so nicely with you lying on the grass, staring at the home of the gods, daydreaming about these days in your 56th year when you would become Ann of Cannon, goddess of all things literary.
I drove the Ave's last evening and thought, "I wish just being here would summon Ann to send into my thoughts something on-the-head perfect." But instead it came to you. Again. :)
Sam turned 7 on the 7th last year and he called it his "Golden Birthday."
So happy Golden Birthday to you, too.
I enjoyed this post. Who knew that Provo would be the "full-on, wind-in-your-hair, hang-on-for-the-best-bitchin'-roller-coaster-ride-in-your-whole-damn-life blast" while Salt Lake would be the more pastoral, serene location?
Love this post. When I look at Grampa now, it's easy to forget where he was at my age. Gives me hope. You never know where life takes you. The important thing to do is enjoy the present, I guess. That's the thing I love about him so much... he's still growing tomatoes in his backyard. He does what he loves and has done and continues to do both before and after reaching his level of success. I remember him telling me once that once you reach a "certain level" (fame, fortune, etc.), you realize that the only really important and satisfying thing in life is family. He's such a great man. Great post, Moms.
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