My Dad Taught Me How

After his father died my dad's mother had to work full time to afford their modest apartment and, unsupervised, my dad was getting into mischief until the football coach persuaded him to join the high school team.

The coach became my dad's father figure and helped shape him into the solid, reliable dad he would one day become — as well as one heck of a great running back, who would later be inducted into his high school’s sports hall of fame.

My mother’s father also helped shape my father. Grandfather Hartner was a pattern maker and highly skilled with tools.

He understood everything about cars and houses — how to keep a car in tune, fix light switches, repair plumbing, etc. — and he taught my dad the useful skills he’d one day need to keep his busy, 8-person household running smoothly.

My father in turn passed those handyman skills down to me as he helped me to renovate my first house, a complete fixer-upper I was not afraid to buy because of the resourceful dad (and mom) I knew I could rely on.

My dad also taught me how to make sensible decisions managing and saving money and dealing with people — sometimes not very honest people — in business situations.

I feel bad for the kids who lose their dads early, as my dad lost his. I applaud Rob Kenney for helping such kids learn the basic daily skills they need as adults.

I’m eternally thankful for being blessed by my dad’s powerful presence and the practical knowledge he still gives me on how to navigate life’s challenges.

Dad, thanks for teaching me how!

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Tom Purcell is an author and humor columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Email him at Tom@TomPurcell.com. Copyright 2021 Tom Purcell, distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate.