The Frankford-Wissinoming Champion

The Frankford-Wissinoming Champion

After a long night out with friends at a party I finally arrived home around 1:00 in the morning. I didn't expect anyone to be awake but I immediately noticed my Dad sitting on the couch accompanied by my dog on his lap. After I gently shut the door, he turned and looked at me with tired eyes to ask a simple question,

"Hey buddy, how was your night?

My dog and Dad in 2016

It didn't occur to me until later that he probably waited hours just to ask me that question in person. I was a new driver at the time and I presume my Dad wanted to see for himself that I made it home safe, even staying up late despite having work just a few hours later. I briefly described my night to him along with the antics my friends and I were up to at the party. Admittedly, I didn't make the smartest decisions that night out, but I always share with my Dad what I do outside the house because I prefer to be open and honest with him. After hearing what I had to say my Dad chuckled and shook his head,

"I was a teenager once too and trust me, I was no better than you are, probably worse. I don't expect you to be goody two-shoes, but what I do hope is that you're being safe."

Although I knew my Dad wouldn't be upset at me I still felt a little relief from hearing this. After I reassured him that I was being safe, he told me something I still live by to this day,

 "I appreciate you telling me about your night, but let me tell you the two simple rules of life. Rule number one, don't do anything stupid. And rule number two, when you eventually do something stupid, don't tell anyone about it."

Those were the words my Dad left me with that night. At first I was a bit confused because I thought the statement kind of contradicted itself, but I came to realize that my Dad was right. In an attempt to be open an honest with him about my night out I actually might've revealed a little too much, but to me this showed how much of a relaxed parent my Dad actually is. My Dad could've easily taken my car keys away or threatened some other disciplinary action, but instead it mattered to him more that I made it home that night in one piece. My Dad's relaxing demeaner in the face of anxiety is just one of many reasons why I admire him, but he's been looked up to by others even before he was a parent.

My Dad is from an Irish-Catholic community in-between the neighborhoods of Frankford and Wissinoming in Philadelphia, being the fourth of six children in a relatively small home and spending much of his young life hanging outside with his buddies and siblings. As a kid, my Dad was an exceptional athlete especially in baseball and basketball, winning his teams several championships and titles. My Dad's skill in sports led him to be dubbed "The Frankford-Wissinoming Champion" by his peers after carrying his teams to victory. Even today, my Dad will jokingly refer to himself as the Frankford-Wissinoming champion, but it was clear that his teammates looked up to him enough to attach that name to him. After his time playing competitive sports my Dad got big into lifting weights, which motivated me to do the same in my early teens. My Dad has always inspired me to be in the best shape I could possibly be in, teaching me how to lift weights alongside him which changed my life for the better.

I had always thought of my Dad as a formidable man. He stands just under 5'10 and is significantly more muscular than the average joe, but combined with his loud and commanding voice, he definitely intimidated me when I was younger when he got upset or frustrated. My Dad is also of pure Irish descent, making his skin pasty pale while being dotted with a sea of freckles up and down his arms and face. His eyes are a blueish-grey shade and his hair has grown grey over the years with a thinning crown, which is all accompanied by a large and inviting smile. Overall I'd say my Dad aged pretty well for a man who just turned 50, but there's always more to a man than his appearance.

My Dad is hands down one of the best men of great character I have ever met. To start, he is an extremely hard worker and is employed as both a letter carrier and a realtor. Despite his busy life my Dad always makes time for me and the rest of my family, which doing so has been a third job in its own right. He is genuine and transparent, rarely ever telling little white lies just for the sake of telling them. He's also an absurdly goofy man and somewhat of a comedian, always cracking jokes and making the room light up in laughter in any social setting. My Dad isn't easily embarrassed or phased by others whatsoever, but combining that with his silliness has led to some interesting situations.

I distinctly remember one summer day when both my younger brother and I were toddlers in the back seat of the family car when my Dad stopped at a local gas station. While waiting for the tank to fill, my Dad ducked below the backseat car windows and occasionally jumped up making silly faces in an attempt to entertain my little brother and I. Being no older than five both me and my brother loved this, but it naturally attracted the confused stares of others as well as mortifying my mother nearly to death. Many parents would be embarrassed to do anything close to what my Dad did in public, but he genuinely did not care what others thought of him and still isn't phased if other people view him in a weird light. 

My Dad holding me on the day I was born

I admire my Dad for many reasons. Whether it's for his charismatic personality, his outstanding confidence or his down-to-Earth demeaner, I have always looked up to my Dad for more things than I can remember. Managing two careers and a family is definitely not for everyone, but my Dad somehow balances them all out and I commend his  ability to do so. My Dad has taught me many things in life and I'm not sure where I'd be without his guidance. If there comes a point in my life where I have kids, I aspire to model my parenting after my Dad. His peers have always called him the Frankford-Wissinoming champion, but I say he's a champion when it comes to being the best father a son could hope to have.