I had no idea as I grew up just how many things that I was being introduced to by my parents. I do recall that I was aware of some of the things that people of that vintage thought were a bit over the top. In hindsight I believe that these were critically helpful in facing the world.
Having a leather jacket, preferably no longer than your waist, well broken in, and often worn while riding a motorcycle was something all real men used regularly. Far from teaching me to be a rebel, I was introduced to the fact that strong, durable, and practical clothes can also be fashionable.
Long hair was a sign of a person who had lost control of all things wholesome. With my introduction to style and a wide range of hair lengths I experienced the joy of seeing beyond the externals to focus on the soul within. God worries about the heart and so should I.
It took decades to discover the fact that most people have beans in their tacos. In between I discovered amazing things like avocadoes, home-made salsa, and the joy of experimenting with food. I also learned that what some people call food is beyond my palate, there are many ways of achieving the same goal, and that enjoying the present is a wonderful way of sharing a meal with someone new.
I know that many of the kids I grew up with have lost touch with their parents. I cannot imagine what this would be like. I do know that “anyone who curses father and mother extinguishes light and exists benighted.” (Proverbs 20.20)
I was blessed and fortunate.
Some of my parent’s friends have become mentors and special friends to me as well. The love of enjoying the present, making the most out of what is, was seriously infectious. Caring about others, even when it hurts, was passed on through ways I have yet to understand.
My parents introduced me to life and living; and by doing this they introduced me to the God I know.
