"To what purpose are powers limited, and to what purpose is that limitation committed to writing,
if these limits may, at any time, be passed by those intended to be restrained?"
-- Chief Justice John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison, 1803

Sunday, June 29, 2008

I took a little bit of a pause over the week in preparation for a couple of pretty landmark events in my life. The first I can now talk about in the next is still pending birth in my life. As for the first, I would say it is pretty significant. This weekend my brother and I met my father, my biological father, for the first time in 25 of my 31 years. It was not a meeting that was overtly emotional (we’re all men now) but it did do my heart some good.

My father flew out from Florida on Friday, and met with us over the weekend. We did some of the usual Los Angeles stuff, we went to Venice, the Mann’s (now grummann’s) Chinese, visited Rodeo, and ate well (Los Angeles is known for it’s eating). We danced around the long pause, as I am trying to focus on getting to know the man. It was odd to me how many character traits we all share, even though we have had scant contact with each other. I know know my father is a school teacher of “special” children along with his fourth wife. He is a devout Christian (Episcopalian now, of all things) and a consummate giver. My grandfather was a surgeon, and disgruntled psychiatrist. He favored surgery over psychiatry in the thirties because he said he saw the results faster. I have three uncles. One was a radiologist and thrill seeker (he was renowned in his industry/spent time on a Russian sub, and competitive bicycle rider into his seventies), one an IRS agent, one a retired Army brass, and the last an accountant. My father was an accountant turned teacher. I was surprised to find out how successful many of them are, and learn the drama in my life is shared across the board. My father does a lot of mission work in Central America (he says they focus on community effort and morally do not try conversion anymore, it’s strictly aide).

As I was talking to the man I never met in my life it was apparent to me that life is very short. I read a lot of the readers dramas (in part because I am people person) because I revel in the human side of life. You guys might not know it, but I keep tabs on everyone, as much as you allow me. This might have filled a void in my life, but now I generally regard this habit as general concern for all the people I know (like my father) that I never met face to face.

If anyone wanted to know why there was a pause it was because of this. I was very anxious and nervous about this meeting, and really hoped everything went well. My father officially passed the reigns onto me this trip. I drove the car, I called the shots, and his wife called me by his surname when addressing me. For my part, I tried to make the old man’s time easy and free of hard talk about the past. I’m going to try to get to know him given time is of the essence. I was very proud of him, and told him he was a big man for doing what he did.

For anyone reading this, I hope my story hits somewhere that life is very short, and we only get who we get for family. I have to say that I am a changed man after this experience. I now have the history of him and a new group of people to embrace in my life. I could have chosen to be petty, but I wanted to give him his fair chance in my life, and he responded. It proves to me that many people are not beyond approach, and letting go of things helps the soul.

I’ll get off my soap box now so you guys can tell me about any earth shattering things in your lives. as I said before, I am an avid listener.