FATHER’S DAY…..HARD TIME BECOMING A NATIONAL HOLIDAY

Posted on by

Big day today! Father’s Day! Many the proud father today. Many the happy kids giving Dad a Father’s Day gift.

Father’s Day seems like a natural. Unfortunately, it was not considered so for many years. Congress opposed efforts going back to 1098 to establish the holiday. The excuse was it would lead to commercialization of the day.

Would you believe?

Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge and Lyndon Johnson exercised their best abilities to legalize Father’s Day as a national holiday. Richard Nixon was finally successful. In 1972, he signed a Congressional bill into law recognizing the 3rd Sunday in June as such.

Father’s Day had its beginnings in the Middle Ages in Catholic Europe. St. Joseph was the father of Jesus Christ. St. Joseph’s Day was June 19. June 19 became recognized as Father’s Day also as a result.

Father’s Day did not take hold in the United States till early in the 20th century. Immigrants at the time probably brought the holiday with them.

Happy Father’s Day to all Dads. Enjoy the day. It is yours. Well deserved. As Mother’s Day is for the Moms.

Tammy for a manicure yesterday. The place is a gold mine! People with and without appointments coming in. Tammy and her staff working hard. always smiling. Accommodated one and all.

Dinner last night with Donna at Duffy’s. Terri home. She has a cold. Has to be careful whatever the problem. She threw Donna out of the house and told her to join me.

Even those not ill, but who care for those who are, get run down. Need a change of pace.

Home before 9. Watched the Watergate special on MSNBC. Excellent!

David Wolkowsky did it again! The man is amazing. Ninety eight years old and still active.

Mr. Key West annually since 2001 has given $65,000 a year to Key West High School teachers. Recipient teachers awarded are referred to as Teachers of Merit. One receives $25,000. Eight others, $5,000 each.

A better man does not exist. He is all heart and soul.

Yesterday was the 63rd anniversary of the Rocky Marciano/Ezzard Charles World Heavy Weight Championship fight.

I was there! June 17, 1954.

I had just finished my freshman year at Manhattan College. My parents drove to New York City to pick me up. While there, my Father and Uncle Gus decided to attend the fight. At Yankee Stadium. They took me!

It was a typical New York City Italian evening.

We took the subway. Our seats were in left field. We could see nothing. My Aunt Louise had made us sandwiches which we took with us wrapped in wax paper and carried in a paper bag.

Fortunately, my Uncle brought binoculars. He had done the rodeo before. My father and Uncle treated me fairly. I got my time with the binoculars.

I was impressed before the fight. Big black limousines driving over the outfield to the seats surrounding the ring in the infield. Out came men in tuxedos and ladies in long. The fight was a social event.

I was impressed.

The fight began. Blurry unless you had the binoculars in hand.

Turned out, I had use of the binoculars at the right moment. I saw Marciano hit Charles so hard on the side of his face that I thought his fist was going to come out the other side of Charles’ face.

I could actually see the force of the blow thrust half of the other side of Charles’ face outward. Looked 3-4 inches to me. I thought Charles’ head was going to come off.

Marciano won soon thereafter. Marciano went on to win the rest of his fights. He retired undefeated.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

 

FATHER’S DAY LONG IN COMMING

Posted on by

Happy Father’s Day!

They did not want Father’s Day. For shame! Social groups thought the only purpose was to commercialize the day. No honor to Dads involved. These groups had Washington politicians in their back pockets. It took till 1972 to legalize Father’s Day as a holiday.

Prejudice involved, also. Many thought fathers were not entitled to be honored as mothers were.

The media opposed marking the day. Newspapers featured cynical and sarcastic attacks on the issue. Jokes were made of the idea of having a Father’s Day.

Resistance began crumbling during Woodward Wilson’s time as President. He tried. He could not get Congress to approve a bill, however. Lyndon Johnson met with the same resistance. Seeing he could not get a law out of it, he settled for a Presidential Proclamation.

Richard Nixon succeeded where others had failed. He got Congress to pass a bill and Nixon signed it into law. Father’s Day forever to be the third Sunday in June.

My afternoon yesterday was spent researching this week’s KONK Life column. I will write the article this afternoon. Title: Napoleon 2 Xs. Interesting history rarely mentioned in reviewing Napoleon’s exploits. Eye opening information regarding Waterloo and the Louisiana Purchase.

Last night, Tavern ‘n Town. Dinner with my lesbian wives Donna and Terri. Always good company.

Ran into Dr. Sullivan and his wife. First time I met his wife. He and Donna and Terri are old friends.

While waiting for Donn a and Terri, I enjoyed a drink at the bar. Made new friends. Karen  and Jim. They purchased a condominium at the far end of Stock Island. Beautiful open water views.

Their last stop before Key West was Punta Gorda.

Karen a former law office administrator. Jim a former IBM consultant. Had been with IBM 30 years prior to retiring.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

Posted on by

Happy Father’s Day!

Always nice to see the day come around again. Unfortunately, I do not think fathers are treated and revered as in days’ past. Something is different today. I hear it from every father/parent who has grown children.

I believe the cause is the way my generation raised our children. We gave them too much. We gave them everything. We wanted the better life for them we had not experienced.

We raised a generation who believe they are entitled to everything. The Age of Entitlement! Which means most care not as they should for their parents.

Another thought. Society is becoming fatherless. Many one parent families. When first one parent families came upon us, we cheered. Generally, it was the mother. What a great job the ladies were doing!

Not so great from my perspective. I admire them. I also feel sorry for them. And the children.

It has been said we live in a fatherless society today. True. Think about it.

I am old school. I believe there must be a return to old school. Two parent families. Whether straight or same sex. It does not take a village to raise a child. It takes two parents!

I am going to be bombed with comments tomorrow! No question. I have scraped the scab off a festering wound.

Lucky are we who live in Key West and the Florida keys. The weather generally great. Scenery always beautiful. Peaceful. Nothing like seeing water every day.

I am fortunate to live on the ocean. The slight blast of hot air that hit my face this morning as I stepped onto the deck irreplaceable. A great feeling. You just know it is going to be a great day.

Key West’s pace is invigorating. Invigorating a strange word to use. Everything is slow paced. Easy going.

Most happy, even those that have little reason to be.

All kumbaya!

I finally decided yesterday what this week’s KONK Life column will be. I spent yesterday researching. I have a bit more today and then the writing itself. Charleston motivated me. I intend to show the black problem from three perspectives. World War I, World War II and Charleston.

Anna has been my housekeeper for more than 10 years. A fancy description for cleaning lady. Whatever the title, I state it with the utmost respect.

Anna leaves me for two months every two years. She returns to Poland, her land of birth. The whole family goes. God bless them!

Anna and her husband work hard. They do not waste money. Ergo, they can afford the trip. They are received in Poland as rich Americans. Anna laughs when she tells me.

Key West is a conglomeration of those born in foreign lands. Some come and stay. Others have green card problems and move on. Most become citizens. Others save a few dollars and return from whence they came.

I have always had an interest in those who go back. It appears that if they have a few bucks in their pockets earned here, they can live better in the old country than here. They initially came for economic reasons. They return because the problem has been solved to some degree. They can now live cheaper back home.

I share the Anna and other immigrants story because most of us believe those from another country come to stay. Not necessarily so.

Another police shooting last night. Los Angeles. The neighborhood a safe one. The incident took place in broad daylight.

A man was standing by his car with a white cloth rapped around his hand. He was yelling…..Stop! Stop!…..to the police car as it approached. The police car stopped. They told him to “drop it” as he was raising his wrapped hand. He did not. There was nothing to drop. They shot him in the head.

The police claim they thought he had a gun. He did not.

The man is in critical condition. A resident videoed part of the happening. Sick to see!

The two officers are nonchalantly saying as the man lies on the ground something to the effect….Oh, how sickning…..his brains are coming out.

The man is lying on his stomach. While this discourse took place. At the same time, the video shows one of the officers handcuffing the unconscious brain oozing victim.

He is a victim!

Enjoy your Sunday/Father’s Day!