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My pal

You can see him through me. I have his walk, I chew on my cell phone antenna the same way, and I am kinda losing my hair like him.

My father is my greatest idol. He has taught me about love, respect, and success. Even though I know he missed me, he supported me when I moved 350 miles away to attend college at VPI. He supported me when I moved across the country to live in Frisco.

He taught me how to communicate with anyone. For much of my child life, he was a salesman for Etonic or Spalding selling golf products. In the summer and on some weekends, I would travel around with him as he called on accounts. As you can imagine, head golf professionals are not the easiest people to deal with, but he owned them.

Not only did he master sales, but he proved to me that any interpersonal challenge is possible. He obliterated the annoying salesman stereotype because everyone loved him.

I have stuck with my dad through many obstacles. When it comes to life in general, I always try to empathize with him. “What would Dad do?”, I think to myself.

The greatest ember of insight that he has given me is to respect everyone. Even if you hate someone, respect them.

As I sit here on New Years eve writing this shoutout, my father is laying on the couch watchin King of Queens. He has probably seen this episode 10 times, but he is watching it anyway because I like it.

This is my first shoutout because I respect him most in life. Without him, I wouldn’t be me.