Most people over the age of 40 probably remember my father since he worked in the Post Office for over 43 years. Facing the public on a daily basis everyone seemed to like my father. In fact, I would have to say that I don't think my father really ever had an enemy or was disliked by anyone. He was that kind of guy. Friendly, kind, not too loud and would never participate in an argument let alone start one. It seemed to me that the only people he didn't like were politicians, which made him perfectly normal in that respect.

I sometimes wondered if we are even related when I start to compare my traits to my father's. Lord knows I've had my enemies and I have to admit that there have been some people I didn't like and they weren't necessarily politicians.

Men from my father's generation had it pretty hard. They were young adults when the Great Depression hit in the 1930's. My father had to raise 4 boys during the Depression and the War Years eking out a living on a small farm with no running water or electricity and working part-time at the Post Office to make ends meet. I remember him telling me that things were so bad in the 30's that a couple of years they burned corn for heat rather than sell it because the price was so low.

Saturday nights my father would take chickens and eggs to town and exchange them for groceries. During the Depression barter was quite common since money was scarce.

In spite of the many hardships, my father survived to a quite old age. People from his generation learned early the hardships of life. Their expectations for wealth and fame were very limited. Most just wanted to be able to survive and to be able to feed their family. When times got better after the War, they continued to live conservatively. Who knows when the next depression might hit?

I guess I could say my father's main fault was that he was too nice. Raised with 3 sisters who probably doted on him and not given many options when the Great Depression started at the time he was a newly wed, my father probably never had the opportunity to make many decisions. The decisions were made for him. Work at whatever you can or you and your family go hungry. That was not a decision. That was an ultimatum.

Later on in life he seemed to go along with whatever people wanted to do. If you asked him if he wanted a piece of pie, he would say "I don't care". Or if you asked him if he wanted to go somewhere he would say, "I don't care. Do you want to?". He never wanted to offend anyone and always wanted to be agreeable. He had survived raising a large family during the Depression and now he was at peace.

I am grateful that I had a father that was respected and liked by everyone. A father who loved his wife and his children. A father who never strayed or set a bad example. A father who emphasized honesty, fairness and decency. A father who set an example for me that made me proud to be his son. Thank you father for all you did for me.