both of my parents are perfectionists and over-achievers. there has always been a part of me that wished i had been born to a couple of slackers.
but one Christmas, in particular, stands out in my mind as the year that even my dear old dad out-did himself. literally.
it was 1975 and my folks had surprise-arranged for all of us to go to pasadena for the rose bowl, which ohio state was playing in. trying to perfectly surprise-arrange a new year's trip right on the heels of trying to perfectly arrange Christmas was no easy feat......not even for my over-achieving dad.
on top of all those arrangements, he had end-of-the-year business at his business to wrap up. my dad worked for most of his adult life as the president of a small paper company in springfield and sometimes, like at the end of the year, the pressure was incredible.
who knew paper could be so difficult.
that was also the year that my dad tramped all over the buckeye state in search for the perfect leather jacket for my brother.
that damned leather jacket.......
anyway, the saturday after Christmas, which was 2 days before we were scheduled to leave for pasadena, my dad and i woke up especially early and were sharing coffee and breakfast together in the family room, when suddenly, out of nowhere, he got up and left the room.
don't ask me how, but i knew something was wrong. i knew it.
i followed him up the stairs and asked him what was wrong.
"nothing's wrong," he said, "i'm just going to the bathroom."
"why don't you just use the bathroom downstairs?"
"i dunno."
"you always use the bathroom downstairs."
"i dunno."
an hour later, i found him sprawled on his bed, in nothing but his underwear. be. lieve. me................my conservative dad does not sprawl on his bed in nothing but his underwear. to tell you the truth, he doesn't sprawl at all - he's always too busy doing something perfectly.
"dad????" i said, panicky.
no answer.
"DAD????!!!!!!"
no answer.
i checked to see if he was alive. he was. praise God.
i ran to the basement, where my mom was busy ironing clothes in preparation for the trip.
"mom! come quick! something's wrong with dad!"
(i will never forget the sound of that iron dropping on the hard basement floor.)
mom and i ran back upstairs and my brother soon joined us in our parents' room. my dad was out of it. he was out of it. no response, no nothin.' he must have had a stroke.
my mom picked up the phone and called our family doctor, who dashed right over to our house. (i know, right?)
we all 3 waited outside the room, as the doctor instructed us to do, while he examined my dad.
i will never forget the sound of my heart pounding out of my chest.
pretty soon, dr. anton came out into the hallway and said.........
"he's
going
to
be
fine.
he's
o
k."
the diagnosis? too much perfection, too much over-achieving. my dad couldn't take it any more and so, instead of having a heart attack or a stroke, his brain checked out. it totally checked out.
and it remained checked out for the rest of that day. by evening, he was beginning to "come to," and by the next day, he was fine.
to this day, he doesn't remember that one.
but what he does remember - what we all remember - is that no trip, no Christmas, no business, no jacket, no nothin' is worth all that.
so, yes..........
even though i am not done with every last detail..........
i'm done.
it is sufficient.
it's good.
merry Christmas, everyone.
