The storm clouds are gathering. Father’s Day and tornadoes mixed together. What a stew of life. Japapenos, beef, and potatoes. The Old Man stood up to pay and got blown away. Yesterday we were members of our home movie. Aaron and Jonathon skittering about, laughing. The Old Man, young, is putting up paneling in the Little House.

Halloween and the candy grabbers knocking at the door. MJ was great with child climbing over the paneling and assisting her young husband, who was not a carpenter. Full of pumpkin on Pumpkin Day. Ready to take on the world. The Little House was cold in the winter. A lot of cracks. In those halcyon days, folks put plastic over their windows to keep out the cold.

Teddy Ruxpin talked, and his mouth moved until it didn’t. We shopped for groceries from a meticulous list. No extras, not even a 12-cent comic. Totinos Frozen Pizza was two for a dollar. The Christmas Tree was over six feet tall. It had Victorian ornaments on it, purchased at Walmart. Jonathon and Aaron’s eyes gleamed. Harsh words about being a Christian. Every word in the Bible is literal. A prescription for psychosis.

In 30 years, today will be the Home Movie. There will be the Old Man and Sweet Mom. They were still getting around pretty well. ‘I think the restaurant was named The Turn and was on a golf course,’ Aaron said. ‘Dad had his New Orleans Hat on and wore it in the restaurant, although Mom did not like it,’ Aaron winked. ‘Look, Mom is wearing a cast on her arm,’ Aaron noted.

‘Remember the Subaru, it was a great ride,’ Jonathon said with a grin. ‘Dad saw a humidor on the Bar and thought they sold cigars. He had visions of cigar smoke in his Father’s Day plans,’ Jonathon laughed. ‘Turned out that the humidor was for decoration and they did not sell cigars,’ Jonathon explained. ‘Dad was around 70, I recall,’ Jonathon noted. ‘I remember you told Dad that you saw a Facebook post he made of the empty University Mall,’ Jonathon noted. ‘Dad said he and Mom remembered when the Mall was first built in the 70s, and I recall all of us spending many hours in it on the weekends,’ Jonathon said with a laugh.

‘Hello,’ the little boy with his little dog called out. Many dads are taking a Father’s Day Nap. Kids old and young are thinking fond thoughts of the Old Man. Dads are full of love and doting on their kids and yet were raised in a time lauding the strong silent type. Dads cry. The Old Man’s joy is being a father.