Last night I watched Joe Biden in the town hall discussion. He spoke of his father in a story where after the Biden’s moved to Delaware. Joe Biden was from my impression a young boy when his family moved. He said that he saw two men kissing and evidently his father saw the expression on his face. It would be understandable; Joe was born in Scranton. There is nothing wrong with Scranton, I went to college about twenty miles north of Scranton in LaPlume Pennsylvania. Very nice people, but at least when I went to college some 150 years ago it was very diverse. Joe’s father said from the story something to the effect that they are in love and that is fine.
This remined me of my dad and me. My dad passed away fifteen months ago a week after he turned ninety. I remember vividly a scorching hot and humid day in July when I was about ten years old. I was helping my dad build a stairway that led from our first floor to the street. And help is a generous word, I ran to the basement when my dad needed a tool, or I held the piece of wood while my dad nailed it together. In the house that I grew up our second story was level with Third Street and the first floor was down a flight of stairs.
We had been working long enough to create a good sweat when the garbage collectors came down our street. In those days each town had their own garbage collectors and in my hometown of Steelton they were all African American. Being ten I made a stupid joke about how much the garbage collectors get paid. I’m embarrassed to say the punch line was ten bucks a day and all you can eat. Now my dad would never scold or say something was wrong. He would show me in ways that left a lasting impression on me.
When the garbage crew came to our house my dad waved to them, when they stopped, he asked them if they would like a beer. Of course, with heat they said yes. So, I ran to the frig and got five beers, Miller High Life in the clear bottles. When they finished their beer the garbage men went on their way. Before my dad and I started working he pointed his finger my way and said,
“Any man who does an honest job and takes care of his family is a good man.”
I never forgot the lesson and I put this story in Wave Rider, I thought it appropriate in developing the code that my protagonist, Joe Adams lives by.
Mike Settino 