My dad was cool?

  Day two of the Dad honorarium.  Don't worry, He's still kicking and I hope he still is for years to come.  Anyway, I was stuck for a bit on what to write today.  I really haven't came up with anything substantial.  I figure I'll just share a few of the things I slowly learned over the years.  Stuff he never told me until I either discovered it and asked, or someone else mentioned it.  For instance, it wasn't until I was almost 30 that I discovered that dad's first new car was a Hemi Cuda he bought while in the Air Force.  I discovered this when we were going through a stack of old pictures we had while I was home on leave.  I pull out this picture of dad in front of this shiny new car. 
    "Who's car is this?"  I asked.
    Dad simply looked at it and said, "Mine."
   No elaboration, just the simple declaration that at one time, dad was cool.  I already had an inkling of that from looking at his year books from High school that Grandma so nicely provided us kids.  Turned out, that dad was a stud in high school.  He may not have played sports, but he and his friends ran the school.  The notes left in the aforementioned yearbooks ranged from the simple miss you, to the elaborate remembrances and nearly tear filled good byes.  And nearly every single girl in his class had something to say beyond the compulsory nice miss you note.  Needless to say, finding out dad was cool was one of the many things we found out.  The few things he volunteered were innocuous and safe.  Reflecting on what I tell my boys, I can only imagine just what kinds of things he got into.
   Now I know some of you are wondering, "what about the Cuda?  He obviously didn't have it when you were growing up.  What happened to it?"  In the same conversation that we discovered he owned it, he admitted that he had to sell it during the 70's fuel crisis since he couldn't afford gas for it.  He admitted to missing it. and regretting selling it. 
    His response when I asked if he would have let me drive it in high school?  "Are you serious?!"  Thanks dad.  I love you too.
   Well, I think that about covers it.  Just remember, every dad may have been cool at one time.  Mine still is, it just took me 30 years to realize it.  Have a wonderful day.