Opinion: Finding Meaning

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Bull Riders and Dads

You have to love a rodeo with all its Old West pageantry. The Beautiful Wife and I took in the Utah High School Rodeo Finals before leaving Midway. There were cowboy hats and boots, pearl snap-button shirts, Wrangler pants (no Levis here), and belt buckles big as dinner plates.

The bull riding event makes me nervous, mayhem and injury loom. But the bull fighters fascinate—the guys in clown clothes who distract the bull and protect dismounted riders. Two special things happened that night. One bull rider had such a great ride the onlookers threw their cowboy hats into the ring in tribute. I hadn’t seen this before but I bet there was a proud dad watching. The other contestant was a bigger surprise. After the ride was done the announcer noted the rider was a girl. High school girls riding bulls? Well, another proud—and relieved—dad. 

This reminded me that Sunday is Father’s Day. Being a dad is a tougher job than bull riding, where you just have to hang on for eight seconds. Dads are on duty the rest of their lives and there’s no rodeo clown to help if they’re bucked off. Everyone has a dad and though some do better than others, they’re all human and do the best they can. Need a gift idea?

It’s not easy picking out a gift for dads but here are my favorite ideas. The best gift is for kids to grow up to be an even better person. Good families improve with each generation and nothing is more rewarding to parents than to see this happen. So, work hard at being the best you can be, though it’s wise not to point out the ways you’re better than old dad, who may be on that slippery downhill slope.

Watch out for what dad admires but might not buy for himself. I’ve been researching the history of Arch Beach and the Beautiful Wife saw me admiring a print of William Wendt’s painting, “The Old Coast Road.” Wendt reportedly traded the painting to Elmer Jahraus, founder of Laguna Beach Lumber, for wood to build his home-studio. “Why don’t you order it for Father’s Day,” she cleverly suggested. I was happy with a print as the original sold a few years ago for $1.6 million.

A final suggestion is to write a note of gratitude and appreciation for all dad has done over the years. Purchased gifts are nice but might be forgotten. A note can last forever. I keep my favorites in the sock drawer where they’re close at hand. Your thoughtful words of thanks make a great gift.

My own dad is gone, but he’s in my thoughts. He was a humble man who, with my Mom, reared 10 children. Some grew up in the ‘50s when the worst we did was listen to Elvis Presley; the latter came of age in the ‘60s when riskier choices abounded. Dad loved us all despite our decisions. There’s meaning in that.

Skip fell in love with Laguna on a ‘50s surfing trip.  He’s a student of Laguna history and the author of Loving Laguna: A Local’s Guide to Laguna Beach. Email:  [email protected]

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