Dad & Bug
Happy Father’s Day to the guy I was named after. ;)
This is the man who cultivated my love of being a spectator at baseball games, who coached my soccer team from kindergarten through fifth grade. He taught me how to fish, and baited the hooks for me until I was brave enough to do it myself. He introduced me to Star Wars, and enthusiastically answered all my questions about the galaxy far, far away whenever we would re-watch the original episodes on VHS. Dad introduced me to Prince’s music from a very young age, somehow censoring most of the songs on his CDs without me noticing what he was doing. He encouraged my love of the Harry Potter books, going with my mom and I to Borders for the midnight release parties, and reacting with as much awe as me when we watched the first movie in theaters. When I got excited about the Hunger Games movies, he borrowed my copies of the books and read them in one weekend so that he could go to the theater and watch the first one with me. Dad taught me all the tricks I know to make the best from-scratch muffins you’ve ever eaten. I still regularly call him from the kitchen if I need ideas for ingredient substitutions.
If Dad were to shave his beard and I were to cut my hair short, people would have a hard time telling us apart. My mom squished his first and middle name together to create my first name. While our sense of humor isn’t quite the same, it’s similar enough that we understand each other’s jokes, even when other people don’t.
He has a habit of giving both people and things goofy names, personalities, and voices, and that habit has rubbed off on me. He named his stomach, he had a nickname for every boy that hung out with my sister and I, he named all his cars and knew if they were an Autobot or a Decepticon… I have named my houseplants, my laptop, my feet, my bicycle, and we both have our own silly nicknames for my dog.
My longest standing nickname, other than “Tara,” was given to me by my dad when I was growing out of toddlerhood. A few years later, when Men in Black came out, he joked that it was because I had a temper like the giant alien cockroach — but the real reason that he calls me “Bug” will possibly never be known. Neither of us remembers.
I quote him so much that I decided to create a Twitter account just to share his wisdom and jokes. Dad taught me some of my most memorable life lessons.
“If you kick the soccer ball with your toe, you can’t aim towards the goal.”
“Boys are stupid. Stay away from them.”
“Bourbon is always better than apple cider vinegar when baking cookies.”
“No matter how nice you are, there’s always going to be someone who doesn’t like you. Don’t let those people get you down.”
“Anyone who makes you cry isn’t worth your time.”
“If I’m not available to give you wise advice, ask yourself what Yoda would say.”
“What have I been telling you every day since you were a baby? Boys are stupid! I should know, I was one.”
He taught me that you don’t have to agree with someone to care about them. He showed me that it’s okay if your dreams and plans for your future change course, no matter how old you are. He’s helped me to remain confident that, even when the good things are slow in happening, if you stay focused and work hard, they’ll happen eventually. He taught me to be myself and not let anyone tell me I can’t follow my dreams — not even him, and especially not myself.
We’ve had our rough moments, and probably still will from time to time, but I truly lucked out with my dad. Whether it’s as a coach, a protector, a friend, a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold, someone to call and get advice from, rant to about politics, or discuss the next big thing in the ever-expanding Wizarding World or Star Wars universe… Dad is there for me, and I am extremely lucky, and very proud, to be able to say that.
Happy Father’s Day to the best dad ever! Love, your Bug ❤
