My Dad Rocks the Most

It's pretty easy to write about why my dad rocks.

He had humble beginnings. He was raised in a town in western Pennsylvania that was called Mine 40. It's not as nice as it sounds.

My grandpa didn't go to college, nor did my dad. But he achieved more than most without a degree.

After finding his way into the field of X-Ray technology, first as a tech shooting film, and then taking over the department for a hospital in Pittsburgh, he landed a job selling the machines for Siemens Medical, and that occupied the bulk of his career.

From the late 70's through the 80's, I can remember running out of room to put his various accolades and trophies. Most of them were for outstanding sales, some were for golf. His success combined with his humble background made it easy to call him a self-made man.

It took a lot of hard work for him to earn those awards. It took a lot of smart work, and a smart choice in marriage, for him to achieve an early retirement. This is one of the things that I look up to the most. His industry was making changes, politics were changing surrounding health care, and there were many things that made his job less attractive to him than it had been in the 80's. So, he retired.

My parents put three of us through college, a gift of inestimable value. Then, when I was out for a few years, and he didn't want to work anymore, he didn't. He had established enough personal power to walk away when he wanted to, on his terms.

That's an example I can look up to.

When he retired, I thought at first he may go stir crazy without the fast paced life he was used to living. Wrong. Golf, reading, my mom and 7 grandkids seem to keep him plenty busy.

Way to rock it, Dad!