I wrote my Father's Day post a while ago, and now that the day has passed, I thought I would write something else.
As i was growing up, my father was fond of just calling me "the boy." I often referred to him as "old man." And so, one day I was wandering around a book store and I happened upon a book called "The Old Man and the Boy" which was actually bundled with another book called "The Old Man's Boy Grows Older." These were by Robert Ruark, a writer for Field & Stream, among other things... I had never read the book(s), nor had I heard of the author. I was just hooked enough by the title that I decided to buy it for Father's Day.
This was a couple of weeks prior to Father's Day, and I hadn't sent the book to MN yet. I have long had a voracious appetite for books, and I just happened to pick up the book I was sending my father. I thought I would at least take a look before sending it off... It shouldn't take long, because I had figured out that the books were about hunting and fishing, neither of which really interested me that much...
The next day I finished both halves of the book, packed it up and sent it to my father. I was a fan of Ruark when i set that book down. But, my father wasn't the hunting and fishing type... so, I knew that he would at least enjoy the title. (Dad wasn't the hunting/fishing type, either)
Not only had my father heard of the author, but had been a fan as a youngster. He wasn't familiar with the series depicted in the book(s) I sent, because he wasn't reading Field & Stream. He had read (like most other boys his age) many of the stories of African Hunts that Ruark had written. I went in search of a First Edition and while the younger than me counter guy had never heard of Ruark, the guys behind me in line... similar age to my father... had not only heard of him, but also wanted to find editions.
Odd that two grown men could be connected by hobbies that neither enjoyed... But, the writing wasn't about hunting and fishing in Coastal North Carolina as much as about the relationship between a boy and his Grandfather. And even then, it was about learning.
When my father passed away, I found the book while handling his estate. It now resides on my bookshelf. And each time i see it, I think of my father. I'm probably going to have to read it again... for about the 6th time. I love reading blogs... but every once in a while, it is nice to read something completely different.
And, as an added bonus, the man was an incredible writer. At 2:00am, as I was reading about the breakfast the Old Man was cooking for the Bot on a fishing trip to the Outer Banks, I was overcome with the urge to eat eggs. I could taste the food just from the description.
And he would have been an amazing blogger.
Unless otherwise noted, all content of this blog is the property of Lane Bailey, ©2012 Lane Bailey.
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That's a great post! It is amazing things that bring us together as a family. Thanks for sharing that story.
Lane - I remember that name from field and stream. I used to love reading that magazine when I was a teenager. Most of the men in my family were big sportsmen, but as I grew older, the attraction to hunting and fishing disappeared, or was pushed aside for more important things. Odd as it may seem, I have the urge to go fly fishing now.
I still don't really want to shoot anything that's not threatening me, but maybe that will return also. I've never lost the love of the outdoors though. Mornings at sunrise, anywhere outside of the city, is something to experience.
Nice story as I get older the memories of family become more important. I hope you had a great Fathers Day.
Laura - I would recommend reading the book. It is great. The dog stories are exceptional.
Larry - I'm with you. That is why I like getting out to do a little 4wheeling and camping.
Terry - I did, thank you.