When I had made my original post about amazing people I know, you will note I had mentioned my dad being in the hospital. Well most of you may not know, unless you really dig my archive to when I first started this blog, what may be wrong, and why he was in the hospital.

Dad

My dad is an amazing person, at least for the times I can remember we did things together. He was an iron worker, and worked for several years at Keystone Foundry, located actually right behind my house. (Not any more.) He set molds and poured cast-iron to make all things imaginable. I still have many of his cast-iron eagles, dogs and cats around the house.

He worked with cars doing bodywork, painting, and repair running a garage out back. Along with other members of the family, cars and racing where a weekly thing. I never picked up this love of auto-mechanics, welding and bodywork, or really auto racing for that matter.

He’s an outdoorsman. Always hunting or fishing. – This past hunting season he bagged an 8-point buck, the sucker was 175lbs dressed! – Dad did take me fishing, and I can recall the time I actually managed to catch more fish then him; he was a bit irritated, it seemed before he could get his own line set, I was yelling “Got another one…“, and sure enough I did.

Dad even taught me how to shoot. With a 30-30, and a 3 to 9 scope, I was not too bad a shot, considering at the time I didn’t even wear glasses. Kind of, like how I do my photography now, with magnification, I can see fairly well.

Even amazing people have their flaws.

Mom and dad got divorced when I was about 9 or so, and though he took me hunting and fishing, he was not always there. He was not always there for different events like band concerts, school awards or one of my first judo matches. He didn’t pay for my trumpet, didn’t buy my judo uniforms, or help pay for my classes. But I still love him, he’s my dad.

Now how ever, he’s fighting a battle even I can’t help him win.

On October 31st, 2008, my dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 terminal lung cancer. – To be continued…

This post was inspired by Ellen, from “To The Max“, and her birth story of little Max.