Football Fanatic

When I was about 15 years old, my dad sat me down one day to give me the "talk". Imagine my initial thoughts; "Oh My God...ewww, not that Dad" and,"Not with you, where's Mom?" most definitely, "This is the most embarrassing moment of my life, I hope my friends never find out".

My dad squirmed in his seat, clearly as uncomfortable as me, but at the time I was in middle of the worst of the teenage years and I knew my younger sister was hiding somewhere giggling, so my dad's discomfort took back seat to that. Thank God there was no you-tube back then. The mortification of that would have been tragic, retribution would have been swift. 

Before my dad could start I blurted out, "Dad I already know about the birds and bees, we learned about it in Health Class." Back then it was taught by the football coaches, talk about the perfect birth control plan,  I still cringe when I think about the description of the female anatomy by a man old enough to be my own dad. I'm still scarred by his description of various STD's. ((shudder))

I remember the total look of fear on my dad's face and thought it was because I already knew, but boy was I wrong. As he sputtered and squirmed and turned beet red, his shiny bald head looked like a traffic light.

"Oh, uh, well that's good I suppose but not at all what I meant." He said as soon as he got composure.

I tilted my head in total confusion. "What did you mean then Dad?"

"Football." He said with total conviction, as if the very word should be explanation enough.

"Football?" Now I have had many moments of complete 'lost-in-space' in my life, but this one would definitely go down as one of the most memorable.

"Yes, football. I think it's time you watched the Pro games with your mother and I on Sundays and college games on Saturdays." Then he gave me that 'dad' look that said, "you will do this if you know whats good for you".

I wanted to blurt out, "Are ya fucking crazy?" of course I didn't because using that word back then would have meant death by hanging.

So I just meekly said, "Ok Dad". Yes I was a wimp but I also respected the man, and liked my freedom.

Up until this point in my life my Dad and I had the typical father-daughter relationship; he didn't get me I didn't get him, and we were happy with that. After that day everything changed and we got to know each other a whole lot better.

My mom would say it was important to like sports if I wanted a strong relationship with my future husband, my dad said it was to show I was capable of being his partner in every way. For me it was the beginning of a life long love of football.

My dad has been gone over a decade now, but not a Sunday from August to January goes by that I don't think of him in his Lazy-Boy yelling at the screen giving the guys his two cents.

I miss my dad everyday but I know he would be so proud to know that I am still to this day a HUGE Football Fanatic!!!

(He might however be a little squeamish if he knew I was mentally seeing some of the men in a torrid love affair with each other, I'll save that story for another day).

So for my dad, Go Texans!!!!

Embry