No matter what the holiday, whenever my brother and three sisters asked my father what he would like for a gift, his answer was always the same: “peace and quiet.” We begged him to be reasonable. Between the five of us, peace and quiet was simply unaffordable.
Years later, however, I think I understand the essence of Jack’s request. There simply wasn’t much that he wanted. And anything he might have truly desired was, most likely, out of the price range of his five, well-meaning children. He didn’t want “any old” gift just for the sake of gift giving. He had little use for ties or dress shirts, or books or cologne — even though he never made you feel small for giving them to him. He was looking for much pricier items like the lawn being mowed without having to ask five times, a wash and wax for his beat-up Cadillac, decent report cards, company to just sit with him and listen to the ball game on his crackly old radio, no late night calls from the Lyndhurst police, or someone to retrieve a “fire-brewed” ice-cold Strohs from the basement fridge without reacting like they’d been asked to hike all the way to the brewery in Milwaukee to get it.
Little things that mean a lot and cost next to nothing. I get it now.
Years later, however, I think I understand the essence of Jack’s request. There simply wasn’t much that he wanted. And anything he might have truly desired was, most likely, out of the price range of his five, well-meaning children. He didn’t want “any old” gift just for the sake of gift giving. He had little use for ties or dress shirts, or books or cologne — even though he never made you feel small for giving them to him. He was looking for much pricier items like the lawn being mowed without having to ask five times, a wash and wax for his beat-up Cadillac, decent report cards, company to just sit with him and listen to the ball game on his crackly old radio, no late night calls from the Lyndhurst police, or someone to retrieve a “fire-brewed” ice-cold Strohs from the basement fridge without reacting like they’d been asked to hike all the way to the brewery in Milwaukee to get it.
Little things that mean a lot and cost next to nothing. I get it now.
After leaving The Undertones in 1983, lead singer Feargal Sharkey first recorded a one-off single with ex-Yazoo and future Depeche Mode and later Erasure band-member, Vince Clarke. “Never Never” by The Assembly is a wonderful slice of electronic pop, that reached #4 in the UK singles charts and quickly became a much sought-after collector’s item. But The Assembly proved to be a “one-hit” wonder and Sharkey moved on to pursue a career without Clarke. “Listen To Your Father” was his first solo release in 1984 and it reached #23 in the UK singles charts. It was a collaboration with Cathal Smith of the British band, Madness, and it is today’s special edition, re-visited Happy Medium Song of the Day. Happy Father’s Day!
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(Please use the comments box to share your thoughts.)