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analog · 10-24-2006, 09:35 PM

My dad's a relatively quiet guy- not antisocial or shy, he's just not a big talker. Very smart. Loves sci-fi but isn't a nerd/geek about it. And perhaps most importantly, he values comedy. Because of him, I grew up with a very well-rounded exposure to different styles of comedy. He'd show me old Laurel and Hardy, Keystone Cops and Three Stooges, he introduced me to Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, and other british comedy in general. I'd see (old) stand-up routines from robin williams, richard pryor- pretty much anyone who has ever done good comedy. We also sat down and watched SNL a lot in the late 80's and early 90's. He's the reason my sense of humor is so versatile, and my knowledge base so wide and varied.

He was never the one who yelled at my brother and I as kids, that was my mom- except when it came to grades. He was very stern about grades in school. I can remember the only time he's ever really raised his voice, was because I got a C in a class and he found out it was because I wasn't really even trying. He said if i'd been trying my best and still got a C, he'd understand that some things are just difficult to learn... but the fact that I didn't even do the work and got a C... that was unconscionable.

As a very young child, we used to play games at night before sleep. Some kids got stories read to them, and we did when we were super little, but starting around 1st grade or so, he started playing a riddle game with us. he called it "secret code". We played it every night for years. As time went on, the "secret code" game would get harder and slightly more complex.

I go to my first algebra class in 6th grade, and what do I find out? He'd been feeding us fucking algebra equations for over 5 years! lol I'm sitting there in class, thinking "motherfucker..." to myself as the teacher starts teaching us the same shit i've been doing in my had as FUN for years and years. I go home with my first worksheet from class, with things like "2x=4, find x" all over it, and slapped it down on the table. "Secret code? SECRET CODE???" I said, flabbergasted that he'd been sneaking us knowledge and LEARNING under the guise of fun. My mom couldn't stop laughing all night.

He's a truly great guy. If I were going to have kids (I'm not), I'd be a lot like him as a parent.

10-24-2006, 09:35 PM	#11 (permalink)
analog Banned	My dad's a relatively quiet guy- not antisocial or shy, he's just not a big talker. Very smart. Loves sci-fi but isn't a nerd/geek about it. And perhaps most importantly, he values comedy. Because of him, I grew up with a very well-rounded exposure to different styles of comedy. He'd show me old Laurel and Hardy, Keystone Cops and Three Stooges, he introduced me to Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, and other british comedy in general. I'd see (old) stand-up routines from robin williams, richard pryor- pretty much anyone who has ever done good comedy. We also sat down and watched SNL a lot in the late 80's and early 90's. He's the reason my sense of humor is so versatile, and my knowledge base so wide and varied. He was never the one who yelled at my brother and I as kids, that was my mom- except when it came to grades. He was very stern about grades in school. I can remember the only time he's ever really raised his voice, was because I got a C in a class and he found out it was because I wasn't really even trying. He said if i'd been trying my best and still got a C, he'd understand that some things are just difficult to learn... but the fact that I didn't even do the work and got a C... that was unconscionable. As a very young child, we used to play games at night before sleep. Some kids got stories read to them, and we did when we were super little, but starting around 1st grade or so, he started playing a riddle game with us. he called it "secret code". We played it every night for years. As time went on, the "secret code" game would get harder and slightly more complex. I go to my first algebra class in 6th grade, and what do I find out? He'd been feeding us fucking algebra equations for over 5 years! lol I'm sitting there in class, thinking "motherfucker..." to myself as the teacher starts teaching us the same shit i've been doing in my had as FUN for years and years. I go home with my first worksheet from class, with things like "2x=4, find x" all over it, and slapped it down on the table. "Secret code? SECRET CODE???" I said, flabbergasted that he'd been sneaking us knowledge and LEARNING under the guise of fun. My mom couldn't stop laughing all night. He's a truly great guy. If I were going to have kids (I'm not), I'd be a lot like him as a parent.