Dad and his girls, circa 1974.
My dad is the oldest of three boys, so becoming a parent of three girls was probably a bit of a culture shock for him. I am the oldest (wearing glasses in this photo). But his style of parenting was a bit indifferent to our girliness. Everything at home had to be ship shape.My childhood was influenced in part by my father's service in the U.S. navy. I was born state side while my dad was serving active duty in Japan. I have a telegram in my baby book that was sent to him, announcing my birth.
A short time after his return, I spent a year as an infant living in housing with my parents on base in Pearl Harbor. We then lived in Monterrey and Pacifica, cities close to the navy base.
During the middle of my kindergarten year, our family moved to Cypress, California. My dad had recently started working full time as a civilian in the oil industry, but he was still in the navy reserve. He served through the base in Long Beach--one weekend per month and two weeks per year.
Military culture for Dad didn't stay sequestered to his ship. We felt a little influence at home. He taught us how to make our beds using military standards. We learned to iron clothing so they looked as crisp as his uniforms. He had navy clocks in the house that rang out time in military shifts. "Six bells, and all's well!"
He also encouraged us to save water by taking military showers: "Turn on the water to get wet. Turn it off while you soap up. Turn it on again to rinse off." We weren't very good about following that particular advice.
"See the world!" as the military recruiters promise. We benefited from my dad's travels when he brought Japanese cuisine to our home. He learned how to make tempura fried shrimp and vegetables. He taught us how to use chopsticks. He also took us out to eat sushi in the early 1970s, long before it became vogue.
As an adult, I began to appreciate more the draw of his military experience and its benefits. When my dad was just twelve (about the same age I am in the photo above), his father died unexpectedly from complications during gall bladder surgery. This left my dad as the man of the house.
After school, he helped his mother run their jewelry store in Rebury, Idaho. Then dad rode his bike home and made dinner for his two younger brothers. Joining the navy as a young adult was a way for him to afford a college education and a way to have older men mentor him. It gave him skills, a brotherhood, structure and a chance to travel.
So each time I fold a top sheet into a military corner, I think of my dad and the many military-inspired life lessons he's taught me.
Happy Father's Day, Lieutenant Commander!
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