Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Saturday, June 14, 2008
Curt Trnka: Dads are just full of lessons
We’ve all seen those “Everything I needed to know in life I learned from (random stupid source here)” posters. Why hasn’t anyone ever done one for our dads?
Personally, my dad has taught me invaluable life lessons, such as exercise leads to a healthy body, teachers are instrumental in shaping young minds and dropping your own father’s class to spend time working on the high school student newspaper is only excusable when you begin a career in journalism.
But this isn’t about me and the person I think about when someone calls me Mr. Trnka. No, this is a bit broader. In honor of Father’s Day, I’m going to try to prove that everything I needed to know in life, I learned from “dad.”
1. It’s never a bad idea to grill. Bad weather just makes you look tougher when you grill.
2. Do-it-yourself projects are a chance to bond, get confused and hire someone to fix what you just spent a Saturday doing.
3. Golf is a game best played with patience, friends and beer. Well, at least friends and beer.
4. If you never swear in front of your kids, they’ll know you mean business when you say “Dang it! Dang it to heck!”
5. Religion is important. Because mom gives dad an earful if he says football is more important.
6. Playing catch builds character. And character is built by missing 4,679 throws during your childhood.
7. Nothing is more important than homework. Except mowing the lawn.
8. Any time you are under the age of 10 and you beat dad at something other than video games, he let you win.
9. Let kids win from time to time.
10. When dad asks how school was, it’s not because he knows what you did in fifth period.
11. Buying your first junker car is great because that means dad doesn’t have to worry about his kid denting the minivan anymore.
12. Sports often are best enjoyed when watched from a recliner.
13. Always be as good as you can at whatever you are doing.
14. Learning to swim can be really funny — for the person who already knows how to swim.
15. Graduation can be as proud a moment for the parent as it can for the student.
16. The birds and the bees can be as awkward a moment for the parent as it can for the student.
17. Getting grounded always happens at the worst possible time.
18. When you’re a dad, your child always is the next Babe Ruth or Ella Fitzgerald. Why? Because they are the world to
you; how could they possibly be less to anyone else?
Curt Trnka can be reached at ctrnka@lacrossetribune.com or by talking to the “real” Mr. Trnka.
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