What did you do with your father when you were young?

My dad took me on errands with him but the big deal each year was going to the US car lots in the fall to see the new models. We were both car nuts.

When my dad was in his 70s I returned the favor and took him on errands every Saturday and to his doctor's appointments. He knew every retail person in his neighborhood after he retired. I remember driving up the the bank teller and she said "Hey, Mr. XXXX." I said hello and she said "I was talking to him". :ROFLMAO:
 
He taught me how to swim and stay alive in wild water, like the surf and in an undertow.
He taught me how to ride a two wheeled bicycle.

After that era, about age 6 or so, I stayed out of his way because I seemed to irritate him.
I was the youngest of his three sons and the oldest of us, my brother Skip, was his favorite.
So I kept my mouth shut around my father and kept a low profile......that worked for Dad.

He died when I was 48 years old and his last words to me on his hospital deathbed were, "You're not good enough to shine Skip's shoes"
My last words to him were, "You're gonna be dead pretty soon and I'm not gonna miss you".

Nice father son relationship..........
 

My dad was a public servant - the Mayor of a northern New Jersey USA town first elected in the late ‘50s and he would take me with him to check on the progress of the new sewer, water, and natural gas lines being installed throughout the town, check the new fire hydrants, watch the concrete curbs and sidewalks being poured and and the roads paved. I learned a lot about infrastructure.

Sometimes the two of us would visit a resident who had a complaint. I remember one woman dad secretly nicknamed ‘Blanche DuBois’ because she would answer the door in a gown and tiara like in the movie Streetcar Named Desire.
 
My father had a display business. A few times a year he would take one of us with him to work. He would give us something to do in his shop to keep us busy while he worked. One time he made a stick man about three feet high and let me paint a face on him. I took the stickman home at the end of the day and stood him up in the corner of my playhouse and called him my husband, but I never knew what else to do with him and thought he was kind of boring. Now, whenever Hubs thinks he's getting in my way he says, "Just stand me up in the corner."
 
My dad grew up during the depression and had a very tough childhood being the oldest of 11 children. His life experiences, growing up during this time, had an influence on my upbringing. He taught me to hunt and fish and survive out in the wild. He taught me how to grow my own vegetables. He was an excellent carpenter and taught me how to use tools and build things. I didn't realize it growing up but his frugal ways regarding money rubbed off on me. Always pay yourself first, never get too far in debt.

But it wasn't just the basics of life, he coached my little league baseball team, He took us on family vacations every summer. I can't count the number of times we would go out in the yard after dinner and toss the football or baseball. He taught me to ride a bicycle. He was a great dad and I still miss him and think of him every day.
 
My dad was a veteran of WWII. He saw action, as he was wounded in 1945 in Germany. His wounds were minor but were enough to get him out of battle. By the time he was healed up the war had ended.

He was a good father and a great teacher. He taught me how to use tools and build/ repair things. He was a trout fisherman, as we lived in the mountains of Colorado as I grew up. So, I too can handle a fly rod, and I have learned how to catch most all freshwater fish. He taught me how to protect myself. He also taught me when and how to fight. He was always in good shape as he loved working outside, and this work kept him in great shape.

To top that all off he was a banker a good banker! He wore a suite to work every day and worked with bank customers throughout his career. He ended up in a very large bank as a SVP of bank Operations. He was a soft gentle man that had the ability to be very tough when needed. I think he got that from WWII. I miss him every day... He was a man of many sides...
 
My dad was a hard man to feel close to, but he did take me hunting and fishing, and he took us to Colorado and Wyoming for vacations. But for some odd reason, my favorite memory of him was one particular day when he came home in his pickup with a big black mixed breed dog, and told me he got it for me. That dog became my fierce protector and best friend.
 
My original post was too long. I will just say my Pop and I were great friends and we did a lot of things together and he taught me a lot about several things. I loved him very much and he also loved me. There was never any doubt about that.
 
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My dad was an Elder in our church, so he assisted in serving communion and also served on the Board.

The Elders took turns taking communion out to the "shut-ins" on Sunday afternoons, mostly elderly women. They would also sit and visit for awhile.

My dad was handsome and very charming and the old ladies were all ga-ga about him. Sometimes I went along with him because the old folks got a kick out of a visiting child, too.
 
My father was a mason contractor who taught the trade to me, so I could take over his business when he retired. He lived sports through my brother. Until my brother discovered drugs. I took care of his needs the final years of his life, my mother was too mean & busy to bother.
 
Wow this has been one of the most emotional charged topics to read - such an insight into those amazing relationships - I was really "gobsmacked" - be back later! ps: no one has done one for mothers yet - now there's a thought?
 
Well, my mom was married 4 times, and the first three, she married the wrong guys. Wrong by a lot.

Father 1: I never knew my biological father until I was 31 (33? I don't remember) I didn't miss much. By the time I met him, he was a broken down old alcoholic, looking to connect with his first born. I guess so he wouldn't die alone. I obliged him, and had somewhat of a relationship with him. But, only because my mom said I should forgive him and let go of the grudge I'd been carrying my whole life.

(step) Fathers 2 and 3 were both physical and mental abusers (father 3 had the added bonus of being a sexual abuser as well.) We lived in fear for years, and now they're dead and buried and I'm glad.

My current step father met my mom, and they married in 1987. She's never had to be cold or hungry or scared since. He's the only one I've ever called Pop.
 
My dad was the stuff of legends. He is a bit difficult to describe. First he lived thru many tragic and disruptive times as he was born in 1910. I believe this greatly influenced his thinking. He was literally a gambler. Poker. One of my first memories is him spreading the cards on the couch and trying to teach me the game. He skated the edge of the law many times…but taught me much about right and wrong. My parents divorced when I was 7, and we moved around too much for close contact. But when he would visit he loved on us enough to carry. It is funny how this thread brings back such great memories. I am so glad he was my father.
 

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