Red Green Repeat Adventures of a Spec Driven Junkie

Miracle in Elementary: Learning About Dad

I’m remembering Dad through a series of posts. This time, I remember him through a miracle I had in elementary school.

I hope you will understand me a bit more in how I remember Dad and his influence on me.

This article will take you about two minutes to read.

Vincent van Gogh - Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat (obverse: The Potato Peeler) source and more information

Introduction

Growing up, I did not know what Dad did for a living. He was out most of the time and Mom took care of us.

One day in class, we had to present what our dads did. The assignment was to do a short presentation in front of everyone.

When I thought about what Dad did, I had no idea. I barely saw him. Comparing him to jobs I did see people do, like:

  • fireman
  • policeman
  • mailman

He didn’t fit those jobs at all. Those jobs uses certain equipment and Dad never had that equipment with him ever.

So, I had no idea what he did based on this.

I didn’t ask Dad what he did because he wasn’t around. I tried to ask Mom but she was sick and sleeping at the time.

Winging It

I went with my understanding and decided to “wing it”. Who knows, maybe something will come to me?

As I sat, I saw others present their dad’s job and it made sense. I kept avoiding my turn because well, I had nothing.

While I was voiding not speaking, I was also hoping for a miracle, like we would run out of time and I didn’t have to speak at all.

Waiting for Miracle

That miracle didn’t happen and I was the only one left. I realize I didn’t know anything about Dad and compared to my classmates, I couldn’t make anything up. Being last made me even more nervous about what to say.

I got up and said:

I don’t know what my dad does for a job.

At that moment, my teacher reacted:

Your Dad is a VERY smart man! He’s an engineer!

That was the miracle I was looking for! When my teacher said that, I did not have to say anything more and she kept talking about Dad. Wow.

Thinking More

When I reflected on what my teacher said, three things came to mind:

  • Up to that point, I had no idea Dad was that smart. He was always quiet when I saw him.
  • My teacher was one of the most respected person as I spent so much time with her. If she said Dad was smart, that means a lot, because I thought my teacher was the smartest person!
  • My teacher’s comment that Dad is an engineer caused me to ask: What’s an engineer?

Conclusion

I learned two things that day:

  1. The smartest person I know said Dad is smart.
  2. Dad’s an “engineer”.
  3. Miracles do happen, even in elementary school.

Little would I know, I would really understand these things in a deeper context for the rest of my life.