Becoming my father - Books by Eric Douglas

I find myself striking up conversations with total strangers when I go out: I make jokes with people as I walk into the grocery story, I chat with hostesses and waiters in restaurants (I always make it a point to ask how they are) and I smile at strangers walking down the street.

I have become my father.

Dad exploring Summersville Lake at winter pool.

As a kid I never understood why Dad talked to people he didn’t know when we went out. I remember asking him “Do you know that person?” He always just smiled and said “No.” He talked (and still talks) to everyone. He makes silly jokes to people, seemingly catching them off-guard, but he almost always gets a response. Often, that person smiles and they share a laugh. Occasionally, he finds out something important like a tip on an easier way to get someplace or where there is a secret deal that only “locals” know about.

Not that Dad talks to people with the hope of gaining something from the conversation. No, I doubt that every really crosses his mind. It just seems to be a side benefit. People trust him because he took that extra moment to be friendly and engage them in a conversation. On the rare occasion that he doesn’t get a response, well that’s worth it as well for a laugh afterward.

Dad: The same spot at summer pool.
I learned to dive first…

Talking to strangers is just one lesson I learned from my father. He taught me to laugh often, to appreciate live music and to not be afraid to dance. He taught me to be curious and to figure out how things worked. I remember him bringing home broken electric motors or closed circuit cameras from work for me and my brother to take apart. I’m not the most mechanically gifted person in my family, but I do have a solid understanding of what makes things move. That knowledge has served me well many times over the years.

Pretty much everyone I know has commented at one time or another, with fear in their eyes or dread in their voices, that they have become their parents; the first time they hear themselves say something like “Because I said so” to their own children they realize life has come full circle. While I don’t necessarily want to be “my father” in that sense, I am proud of what he taught me and I know I use those gifts every day.

Thanks Dad. Happy Father’s Day.

Now I have to run out for a bit. Maybe I’ll meet someone new….