Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Lion King

You don't have to be a "person of influence" to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they've taught me.

-- Scott Adams

It was 6:30 a.m. when I went downstairs, dragging my suitcase behind me. Dad was waiting in the parking lot, buzzing with energy. This was nothing for him -- on any other day at this time, he'd just be returning home from a five-mile walk to have a bowl of Frosted Flakes, a banana, and a glass of orange juice before showering and dressing for work.

"I want to show you something I got that's really cool," Dad said, opening the passenger's side door for me. I sat down, taking note of the lion lying on its belly in front of me while my father walked around and got in the car.

"Watch this," he said, and then he faced the lion and asked, "Are you having a great morning?" The car began to shake forward and back, which startled me a bit but caused the lion to nod his head in answer to my dad.

"Do you want to see Barb leave?" To this, the car rocked from left to right -- the lion's head shook back and forth in an obvious "No."

Sponsored
Sponsored

My father has security clearance that goes higher than top secret for the government, and he talks to a bobble-head lion that lives on his dashboard. David joined us in the car as the sky began to lighten, and we were off.

"I'm not a bobble-head kind of guy," Dad explained on the way to the airport. "But I was really impressed with this one. This lion doesn't bobble like other bobbles. He's got a regal bobble."

Dad shared that on his way back from one of his visits to the Tijuana orphanage, he haggled with a street vendor at the border for the lion now shaking its head at me. My frugal father told me, "The guy wanted seven bucks, but I talked him down to three if we bought four." He insisted that each person who was in the car go in on the purchase with him -- those people being his fellow congregants of Midtown Church of Religious Science, or as Dad calls it, "The Church of What's Happenin' Now."

After explaining the bobble-head lion phenomenon to friends at a recent party, Kip advised, "If the lion ever calls you on the phone, it's time to express concern." I laughed and continued to poke fun at my father's close friendship with the small, fuzzy car ornament, but not once did I judge him for his taste in companions. On the contrary, every time I sit in Dad's car I am taken with the lion, mesmerized by its bobbling head. It's quite probable that my own affinity for anthropomorphizing both animals and inanimate objects is a behavior I learned from you-know-who.

Because of how often we travel for both work and pleasure, Dad and I feel at home in the airport. As a volunteer Airport Ambassador, Dad hangs out at the airport once a week to assist travelers less savvy than himself. A new project has him out of town a lot lately, so in order for us to spend some time together this week, I accompanied him as he made his rounds at the airport.

In addition to OCD and germaphobia, my father and I share a passion for people watching. Standing by the escalators to the sky bridge, we chatted while intermittently interrupting ourselves to point out a particularly interesting human specimen.

"Stephanie and I hung out the other day, it was nice -- WHOA! Three-o'clock, get a load of those shoes. Ouch, how can she walk?" I'd say.

"Well, I'm happy you two were able to make some time to see each other, because -- OH! Turn around! What a freak of nature. No, the other way, quick! See what I mean?"

Neither of us missed a beat, nor did we lose our place in our ongoing conversation about the people in our lives.

We both peripherally observed an elderly woman drop a dollar bill, begin to walk away, then find and retrieve her money.

"I'm bummed she saw it," I said in jest.

"I know," said Dad. "That hawkeyed bitch jumped at the bill before I could get over there." But both of us knew if he had gotten his hands on the buck, it would only be to chase after the woman until he could return it. Dad might be frugal, but he's also honest.

Our discussion turned to drugs as I mentioned those people I no longer hang out with.

"You know, Dad, I used to do a lot of drugs. I don't regret it; I had a great time, but my priorities have changed."

I was interrupted by a woman who had obviously read the back of my father's jacket, where "Ask Me" is written in large white letters, and he directed her where she needed to go to pick up her rental car. A plane had just landed, so Dad ventured forth to offer help to more travelers.

It wasn't until we were walking back to the car that we were able to pick up our conversation again. Dad had been telling me a familiar tale about how grateful he is to have so much joy in his life. I had been explaining a huge transition that took place around the time I met David.

"I find it so wonderful to know that all of my four daughters are in love," said Dad.

"It was after I met David that I started to turn around." I waited until Dad was seated and seat-belted before continuing.

"I quit smoking, I stopped doing drugs...it's, like, when I fell in love with him, I really started to care about my health."

Dad faced me before starting the car, and his eyes -- which a moment ago had been sparkling with humor -- took on a duller shade of guilt. He looked as if he was in pain. Not the kind of sharp, severe pain that a harsh weapon or word would inflict, but rather the agony of the good-intentioned realizing that his actions have caused only suffering.

"Did I not instill in you any self-love? Did I not teach you how important your health and happiness are in order to lead a good life?"

A thousand things floated by in my head, a thousand things I wanted to say to prove to my father just how much he has influenced me and my decisions in life. I wanted to list examples, to recite his positive, love-filled words that echo through my head every day, but I didn't want him to think I was merely attempting to assuage his guilt.

"Of course you did, Dad." When I said this, Dad stopped at a red light, and the lion's head went up and down, confirming everything I said...and everything I didn't.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Jayson Napolitano’s Scarlet Moon releases third Halloween album

Latest effort has the most local vibe
Next Article

The danger of San Diego's hoarders

The $1 million Flash Comics #1

You don't have to be a "person of influence" to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they've taught me.

-- Scott Adams

It was 6:30 a.m. when I went downstairs, dragging my suitcase behind me. Dad was waiting in the parking lot, buzzing with energy. This was nothing for him -- on any other day at this time, he'd just be returning home from a five-mile walk to have a bowl of Frosted Flakes, a banana, and a glass of orange juice before showering and dressing for work.

"I want to show you something I got that's really cool," Dad said, opening the passenger's side door for me. I sat down, taking note of the lion lying on its belly in front of me while my father walked around and got in the car.

"Watch this," he said, and then he faced the lion and asked, "Are you having a great morning?" The car began to shake forward and back, which startled me a bit but caused the lion to nod his head in answer to my dad.

"Do you want to see Barb leave?" To this, the car rocked from left to right -- the lion's head shook back and forth in an obvious "No."

Sponsored
Sponsored

My father has security clearance that goes higher than top secret for the government, and he talks to a bobble-head lion that lives on his dashboard. David joined us in the car as the sky began to lighten, and we were off.

"I'm not a bobble-head kind of guy," Dad explained on the way to the airport. "But I was really impressed with this one. This lion doesn't bobble like other bobbles. He's got a regal bobble."

Dad shared that on his way back from one of his visits to the Tijuana orphanage, he haggled with a street vendor at the border for the lion now shaking its head at me. My frugal father told me, "The guy wanted seven bucks, but I talked him down to three if we bought four." He insisted that each person who was in the car go in on the purchase with him -- those people being his fellow congregants of Midtown Church of Religious Science, or as Dad calls it, "The Church of What's Happenin' Now."

After explaining the bobble-head lion phenomenon to friends at a recent party, Kip advised, "If the lion ever calls you on the phone, it's time to express concern." I laughed and continued to poke fun at my father's close friendship with the small, fuzzy car ornament, but not once did I judge him for his taste in companions. On the contrary, every time I sit in Dad's car I am taken with the lion, mesmerized by its bobbling head. It's quite probable that my own affinity for anthropomorphizing both animals and inanimate objects is a behavior I learned from you-know-who.

Because of how often we travel for both work and pleasure, Dad and I feel at home in the airport. As a volunteer Airport Ambassador, Dad hangs out at the airport once a week to assist travelers less savvy than himself. A new project has him out of town a lot lately, so in order for us to spend some time together this week, I accompanied him as he made his rounds at the airport.

In addition to OCD and germaphobia, my father and I share a passion for people watching. Standing by the escalators to the sky bridge, we chatted while intermittently interrupting ourselves to point out a particularly interesting human specimen.

"Stephanie and I hung out the other day, it was nice -- WHOA! Three-o'clock, get a load of those shoes. Ouch, how can she walk?" I'd say.

"Well, I'm happy you two were able to make some time to see each other, because -- OH! Turn around! What a freak of nature. No, the other way, quick! See what I mean?"

Neither of us missed a beat, nor did we lose our place in our ongoing conversation about the people in our lives.

We both peripherally observed an elderly woman drop a dollar bill, begin to walk away, then find and retrieve her money.

"I'm bummed she saw it," I said in jest.

"I know," said Dad. "That hawkeyed bitch jumped at the bill before I could get over there." But both of us knew if he had gotten his hands on the buck, it would only be to chase after the woman until he could return it. Dad might be frugal, but he's also honest.

Our discussion turned to drugs as I mentioned those people I no longer hang out with.

"You know, Dad, I used to do a lot of drugs. I don't regret it; I had a great time, but my priorities have changed."

I was interrupted by a woman who had obviously read the back of my father's jacket, where "Ask Me" is written in large white letters, and he directed her where she needed to go to pick up her rental car. A plane had just landed, so Dad ventured forth to offer help to more travelers.

It wasn't until we were walking back to the car that we were able to pick up our conversation again. Dad had been telling me a familiar tale about how grateful he is to have so much joy in his life. I had been explaining a huge transition that took place around the time I met David.

"I find it so wonderful to know that all of my four daughters are in love," said Dad.

"It was after I met David that I started to turn around." I waited until Dad was seated and seat-belted before continuing.

"I quit smoking, I stopped doing drugs...it's, like, when I fell in love with him, I really started to care about my health."

Dad faced me before starting the car, and his eyes -- which a moment ago had been sparkling with humor -- took on a duller shade of guilt. He looked as if he was in pain. Not the kind of sharp, severe pain that a harsh weapon or word would inflict, but rather the agony of the good-intentioned realizing that his actions have caused only suffering.

"Did I not instill in you any self-love? Did I not teach you how important your health and happiness are in order to lead a good life?"

A thousand things floated by in my head, a thousand things I wanted to say to prove to my father just how much he has influenced me and my decisions in life. I wanted to list examples, to recite his positive, love-filled words that echo through my head every day, but I didn't want him to think I was merely attempting to assuage his guilt.

"Of course you did, Dad." When I said this, Dad stopped at a red light, and the lion's head went up and down, confirming everything I said...and everything I didn't.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

WAV College Church reminds kids that time is short

College is a formational time for decisions about belief
Next Article

The danger of San Diego's hoarders

The $1 million Flash Comics #1
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader