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The Middle of the Road: By Randy Peters, a middle-aged, middle-income, middle-school teacher Memories of Dad at Christmas As I started to write this month's column, I focused on Dad said that if you go somewhere, you need to go in style. Christmas ideas. After all, I've been celebrating Christmas for You get the best seats you can afford. You stay in the best hotels more than five decades. I must have some good stories to tell. you can manage. We never camped. Dad said he spent too I thought about the spiritual meaning of Christmas. I thought many nights sleeping on the ground when he was young and about Santa. I thought about gift-giving. When I put these would not do that again. Through dad I learned to tip well. The thoughts all together, I thought about my dad. To this day I first time I went to see a Las Vegas show with dad, he explained still cherish his lessons like well-loved Christmas gifts. Even how he had tens in one pocket and twenties in another. That though dad isn't here, this column would be a gift for him. way he could quickly choose the tip he needed for the maître de My dad was a stubborn man who could tell a great story and to get us the best seats. It worked. We sat with Mrs. Newton at give even better advice. As we were growing up, we learned it the Wayne Newton show. was best to accept his advice and not question it. I never fully One gift I learned from dad that he may have never known appreciated his wisdom as much as I do now. It is amazing how is that it is important to finish a job once it's begun. My wife much wiser my father got as I got older. will rightfully argue I didn't learn it well. I keep telling my own children how wise But I did learn it. My parents bought I am and one day they will take notice. I a house in Huntington Beach in 1963. think they're still waiting for that day to Soon after, my dad painted the house come. pink with white trim. He put in a white Some of my dad's lessons were picket fence and worked to make the sometimes simple. He never taught me house as homey as he could. There was how to change my car's oil, but he taught just one problem. The garage door had me to always have your car washed six panels with trim. Five of the six before you take it in for servicing. That panels were painted pink. For some way the mechanic will think you care reason the final, sixth panel was never about your car and will treat it better. painted. It stayed that way for years. In Dad taught me that I should take every outdoor family picture and movie, advantage of every opportunity. When he it is seen. It is noticeable. It is a mystery. was a furniture mover in the warehouse When I don't quite finish a job around at Aerospace, he was put on a special the house, I am reminded of the pink assignment. Whenever President Kennedy The Peters Family… I believe this was in garage door. Thanks, Dad! flew into Los Angeles on the Air Force One, '64 or '65. I was 5 or 6. I am in my dad's This next story was my dad's favorite my dad and a friend of his was in charge left arm and have the darker haircut. Christmas story. It explains why we put of unloading the President's rocking We were on the boat to Catalina. I have angels on the top of Christmas trees. chair and delivering it to Peter Lawrence's no memory of the island, just my mom It was an especially tough year at house. The President eventually gave my throwing up. My brother, Mike, is the the North Pole. Santa was in a horrible dad a gold tie clip of the PT109. lighter blond on my dad's right side and mood. The fog was rolling in, Rudolph's Dad believed that everyone needed to higher. My sister, Sue, is next to my mom. nose wouldn't light up, and the elves were show the utmost patriotism for the United threatening to go on strike. Mrs. Claus States. Dad was a life-long democrat, but tended to follow a refused to make Santa's favorite Christmas cookies. Santa more conservative philosophy. During the Vietnam War, my raved and hollered. Nothing was going right. In the middle of brother and I were talking about a news story about draft trying to fix the broken sleigh, Santa heard a knock at the door. dodgers. For the first time I heard my dad use street language He flew to the door, threw it open to see a tiny angel hauling a to describe these men. He told us how he was willing to go large pine tree. The angel looked up and asked, "Santa, where and fight at his age to show these 'cowards' how Americans should I put the Christmas tree?" should act. This opened the door for the two of us to have great Merry Christmas. Keep your eyes on the road. political talks for many years. 14 OUR YUCAIPA | December 2013