My youngest daughter is an excellent award-winning AP economics teacher. She does many good things. She’s always been highly intelligent and good-hearted but has sometimes made questionable decisions.
A Call from the Police
When she was 16, I received a call from a local small-town law enforcement officer. They had caught my daughter and two friends with alcohol and marijuana. The officer explained she’d be required to attend a camp. After presenting the details, he said, “Your daughter has quite a smart mouth, doesn’t she?” I asked why, and he said, “When we asked who the marijuana belonged to, she said if I say it’s mine can I have it back?”
Her first attempts at college were unsuccessful. She wasn’t ready. She needed to explore the world and learn more about who she was, like when she visited her sister in England, disappeared, and then showed up in Amsterdam. I am sure she has some great stories which I don’t want to hear.
A Bar at the Beach
Eventually she applied herself, made the dean’s list, and graduated with honors. At the time of this story she was working on her first master’s, teaching algebra, and coaching basketball in middle school. My daughter married her best friend Jon, and they were rising two lovely children. She was terrific, I could not have been prouder of her. However, as I was to learn, in some ways, she hadn’t changed all that much.
My daughter, her husband, and I were having a drink at an outdoor bar on Coco Beach, Florida near where they lived. After a few drinks, a young lady sat across the oblong bar and said hi to my daughter. My daughter’s friend was in beach attire. A few minutes into the conversation, my daughter introduced me. She said, “Amy, this is my dad. Show my dad your ta tas” (except she didn’t say ta tas) Amy showed me her ta tas. For one of the few times in my life, I was lost for words. My daughter couldn’t stop laughing. Later as we walked from the bar, I looked at my daughter, pointed at an attractive women walking toward us, and asked my daughter, “Do you know her?” My daughter laughed. I think I’m funny.
Photo by Dragan Miljkovic on Unsplash
