Daddy’s Teachings

Written by Luz Leigh - June 2007

      Early recollections I have of my daddy was sitting around the kitchen table, listening to him tell of some of his travels around the state of Texas. In my eyes, my daddy was bigger than life itself. Not because of his physical statute, but because of all the interesting things he had done before I was born and in the early years of my life.

      To keep me from growing up completely illiterate, Daddy encouraged me to study the large map of Texas that was posted on the west wall of our kitchen. When telling a story of some escapade in which he has been involved, usually as a pursuing lawman, he would point to the area on the map. The county and the county seat would be mentioned in the story. I would know that a “test” would be coming, probably the next evening, so I would locate and memorize that pertinent bit of information. To me it was fun; like playing a game. To my daddy, he thought of it as a learning experience. Even though my daddy had a limited amount of formal education, he was a great teacher…..he challenged me to WANT to learn. He encouraged, meaning he expected, me learn the names of all the two hundred fifty-four counties in Texas, along with their county seats. At one time in my life, I could name all the counties and most of the county seats. Please don’t put me on the spot now. I would do well to name half of them.

      Daddy wore khaki pants and shirts, except on Sunday when he dressed in a white starched shirt and dress pants. In the winter he wore the coat that matched the pants. I loved to crawl up in Daddy’s lap, search through his shirt pockets for a “prize”. You need to remember that I grew up in a financially poor family. The prize would be a paper band that had been removed from Daddy’s Roi-Tan cigar. I would place that band on the ring finger of my little hand, and proudly wear it until I lost it or it tore, usually within the hour of my having acquired it.

      Another thing I loved to do with my Daddy was sit and ever so gently and carefully, hold his Elgin pocket watch, while listening to the ticking. It had a little second hand on it that fascinated me. Because of our simple life, it did not take a lot to entertain me. Even to this day, when I hold that watch in my hands, I can almost feel my skin touching those khaki pants and shirts, smell the freshly lit cigar and hear my daddy’s voice as he told me things little girls need to hear from their daddies.

      As I held my children when they were small, I tried to impart to them some of the same love that passed between that man who was old enough to have been my granddaddy, but who was the best daddy anyone could have wanted. There are some things that can’t be bought in a store and a daddy’s love is one of them.