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| Jack Slater 1927-2009 |
My father passed away three years ago.
I have been thinking about the many sounds that remind me of him as I go about my day. If you try and live in the moment it means you are very conscious of all that is around you. Memories can be triggered by the crinkle of paper, wisps of the wind or even the sound of a remote control changing the channels. The following sounds remind me of my dad Jack.
I have been thinking about the many sounds that remind me of him as I go about my day. If you try and live in the moment it means you are very conscious of all that is around you. Memories can be triggered by the crinkle of paper, wisps of the wind or even the sound of a remote control changing the channels. The following sounds remind me of my dad Jack.
Marching bands and especially any music by John Phillip Sousa
Scat singing by Ella Fitzgerald who he loved
The crack and pop of an old vinyl record starting up on an old school record player
The sound of an his old fashion adding machine clunking and chinking along as it adds numbers on his office desk in the back of the house
Bad reception on a portable FM radio as we tried to tune in a baseball game while sitting on the front porch
His whistle to call me in from playing in the back yard when I was a child
The crunch of a pretzel being eaten from another room when my mother walked toward the back of the house
A knife slicing through an apple while the TV hummed in the background
Football fans roaring in a stadium while the Giants take the field
The crinkle of a $20 bill coming out of his pocket and into my hand
His 1972 Buick Electra starting up in the driveway
Sweet and low being poured and stirred into his coffee as the spoon touches the mug
A click from his Nikon camera as he photographed a moment from my childhood
Film running through his 16mm film camera as he makes family movies
In The Mood by Glenn Miller Band
In The Mood by Glenn Miller Band
The carbonated pop from a can of diet soda being opened
The distinct belch after drinking a soda that was all Jack
The distinct belch after drinking a soda that was all Jack
The very subtle sound of his cuff links being locked into place on his shirt
Sharpening a knife to cut a Thanksgiving turkey
Creaking sounds in the metal structure of his chair as he would lean back and recline
Footsteps and floor board noise when he would walk down the hall from the back of the house to the front
The sound of an old fashion remote control that changes channels on a TV
The sound of an old fashion remote control that changes channels on a TV
Tapping the end of a bottle of ketchup to start the flow
His laugh at Archie Bunker or an old sitcom
His voice calmly explaining to me and my wife in 1976 what a balance sheet was all about
The crack of a baseball bat at a little league game
The crack of a baseball bat at a little league game
Blowing his nose into his white linen handkerchief that my mother would religiously launder
Singing the national anthem off key at the start of a ball game
Snapping fingers to any music by Frank Sinatra
Calling my mother’s name when he was in a different room
Hearing his voice tell me he loved me
Dad, I am still listening.
