Chapter IV

My dad, as absent as he was all the time, had the greatest effect on my life. He was a strict, loving father, and in a lot of respects he is still my greatest influence. I remember one time coming home crying because Ashley Merrick and I had a fight, and I lost. I thought I could get a bit of sympathy from my dad. WRONG! He took me downstairs and gave me something to cry about. He didn't care that I had lost the fight, he just wanted me to take it like a man. I remember another time, Paul Hartley and I had a fight. I lost again, cried again, got to go downstairs again. I think the time I stole 20 cents was the worst. You've never seen a kid, more scared in your life. I guess most kids would have hated their father if it happened to them. The way I see it, my father taught me about honesty, integrity, and respect.