Growing up I suffered from Middle Child Syndrome…still do. With 5 kids running around our household and my parental units working mad crazy hours to support all of us, I was a bit neglected. However, every Saturday I would have a date with my Do Dah to make up for any lack of attention or love. I was most definitely “Daddy’s Little Girl”…still am.
My parents owned a restaurant and bar. On Friday nites, my Mum would close the bar so my Do Dah could wake up early and spend some quality time with me. He would take me to my early morning gymnastics workouts (I was training for the Junior Olympics). He would drink his coffee and pretend to pay attention to me whilst he read the newspaper. I think he did not want to focus on me too much because my coach was always yelling at me and he could not do anything about it. He would have to sit there and watch as I would stand in the corner of the gym and cry because I could not perform a new trick or could not “stick” my routine. It was very stressful for me as I always pushed my heart and soul to the extreme to be the best at everything, and when I was not the best, I would have major anxiety and panic attacks. Therefore, to calm me down my Do Dah would give me some good ‘ol fashion music therapy.
On the drive home from the gym, my Do Dah would put his favorite classic rock 8 tracks on in his 1976 Silver Chevy Monte Carlo and we would drive around for hours rockin out!!! He would smoke his giant cigar and I would just sit there with my feet dancing on the dashboard and my hands pretending to play the drums. After we drove around for a while, we would stop by the restaurant to open it up. Once inside the restaurant he would give me a stack of quarters for the jukebox and make me a Shirley Temple with extra cherries!!! I would sit there and spin on my bar stool and my Do Dah would pour himself an ice-cold brew and help me spin around in my chair. (Maybe that is why I love day boozing so much?!?) I would follow him around the restaurant and re-set all the silverware because he always did it wrong. Before we would leave the restaurant to head towards the home front, he would ALWAYS put on my Mum’s favorite song and sing to me Blue Bayou by Linda Ronstadt. Ahhh…I miss those days with my Do Dah.
When I got older and no longer had gymnastics, (I did not make the Junior Olympic Team, so I quit) my Do Dah would close Friday nites at the bar and my Mum would open, so we could still spend our Saturday’s together. We would exhaust our entire day playing records and dancing on our porch. We would dance for hours, but because I was not tall enough to put my arms on my Do Dah’s shoulders to dance, I would step on his bare feet to reach. He would sing the lyrics to every song that we played, spin me around until I was dizzy and would fall to the ground, stars in my eyes. My favorite song that my Do Dah would sing to me is the ever so AMAZING lyrics of Mr. David Byrne’s Naïve Melody. Whenever I hear that magical song, it fills my heart and soul with such happiness and love.
As the years have passed, it has become more difficult to have a date with my Do Dah. For Fathers Day this year, I sent him a homemade CD with all of our favorite songs that we use to dance too. For me, Music Speaks What Cannot Be Expressed, Soothes The Mind and Gives It Rest, Heals The Heart and Makes It Whole, Flows from Heaven Into My Soul…
Happy Fathers Day, I love you Do Dah, can’t wait to dance with you Saturday!!!
