I was in the 5th grade and my teacher--still today one of my all time favorites, Mrs. Corin--was busy at the chalk board. A wonderfully sweet and charming woman in her mid-50s, her dress tussled back and forth as she scribbled away with her back turned to the classroom. Like perfect comedic timing, FAHLOO ... SPLAT! A large spit-wad hit the blackboard not one foot to the right of her head. I immediately started to snicker and looked around behind me to see it was my classmate, Ed Mitchell, who had turned his Bic pen into a spit-wad shooter. He grinned at me just before going stoic as Mrs. Corin spun around and demanded to know who did it.
Blushing has always been a weakness for me and can easily overtake my face. And wouldn't you know it, I could barely hold back the giggling and as my face grew bright red, I was immediately accused of the crime! After class, I was told I had to take home a parent-teacher meeting form to be signed by both my parents and to confirm a date and time one was to meet with Mrs. Corin and me. Ugh, my cries of innocence fell on deaf ears both at school and when I got home to show my mom the note. She was understandably angry and could only mutter that I had to go to my room and wait for my dad to get home.
Well, my pop arrived and after hearing my mother's tale of how badly my day had gone and of the impending parent-teacher conference, he, too, was understandably angry with me. He scolded, "I've raised you to be better than this!" Again, I passionately pleaded my innocence and become overwhelmed with emotion. Yes, I was a class-clown but even I knew my limitations and would never had gone as far as Ed did. But my parents would not relent in holding me accountable for my actions and my dad, with great calm and a stern eye, looked at me and said, "What did you do to make them think you did it?"
© 2011 Mitch Dobrowner. All Rights Reserved.
Road, Near Guymon, Oklahoma, 2009, by Mitch Dobrowner (19??-) is an awe-inspiring, humbling black and white photograph of a lonely, dirt road in Oklahoma with a menacing storm off in the distance. Sunlight is masterfully captured leaking through a break in the super-cell illuminating a lone tree as a singular bolt of lightning strikes the ground. A self proclaimed lover of Ansel Adams, Dobrowner has spent his life refining his craft in an effort to rightfully, gracefully, and humbly capture and evoke what our wonderful planet means to him.
Immediately, my mind is flooded with metaphors about life and how my personal journey from birth to death will travel down symbolic roads such as this one. Oh yes, there will be moments where my road will be straight and my immediate destination pretty clear. But there will also be moments where I can sense trouble ahead and the skies become dark and frightening. Fortunately, I don't have to go it alone and in the midst of any troubling period, a light will shine through.
Echoing in my head for years, "What did I do to make them think I did it?" These words plagued me for a very long time both in my mind and in the voices of my parents when I would attempt to defend myself out of trouble. It wasn't until a couple of years after my mother had passed away from cancer that it hit me like a ton of bricks. As I was headed home traveling Eastbound on the Pasadena Freeway, I began to sob uncontrollably. Being responsible for my actions! How could I have gotten through that much life without figuring it out?
My family and I have all had our ups and downs over the years. Fortunately, our devoted love for each other has fueled our abilities to weather the rough spots and glide right into the good ones. Life is a long series of bumps, turns, declines and inclines and though things may seem bleak up ahead, the light always breaks through the darkness as I turn to my father. No matter how disruptive or unorganized I have been in living my life, my dad has stood by me through it all always concerned about my well being and my future.
Though clouds of difficulty and obstacle may continue to line my path, the one person I know I can lean on to help illuminate my outlook on what's to come is always there. It turns out, this Road I've been on more than I can count has never been a road I had to travel alone. My mother was there as much as she could be even during her fight with cancer, and equally important, my father has been, too. I am older and much wiser now thanks to both but I will admit, it pains me deeply to even think of a time when my father won't be around. But while he's healthy and about 30 miles away, I know I will cherish each moment I get to see him, talk to him, or know he's thinking of me as I continue to travel through life.
My family and I have all had our ups and downs over the years. Fortunately, our devoted love for each other has fueled our abilities to weather the rough spots and glide right into the good ones. Life is a long series of bumps, turns, declines and inclines and though things may seem bleak up ahead, the light always breaks through the darkness as I turn to my father. No matter how disruptive or unorganized I have been in living my life, my dad has stood by me through it all always concerned about my well being and my future.
Though clouds of difficulty and obstacle may continue to line my path, the one person I know I can lean on to help illuminate my outlook on what's to come is always there. It turns out, this Road I've been on more than I can count has never been a road I had to travel alone. My mother was there as much as she could be even during her fight with cancer, and equally important, my father has been, too. I am older and much wiser now thanks to both but I will admit, it pains me deeply to even think of a time when my father won't be around. But while he's healthy and about 30 miles away, I know I will cherish each moment I get to see him, talk to him, or know he's thinking of me as I continue to travel through life.
Thank you for being my light, Dad. I love you.
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