Huss: A Shout-out to my Father-in-law

In composing my last post, and as Father's Day, draws closer, I found myself reminded of a really wonderful bonding experience which Gregg and I shared with my dad-in-law Huss on Sunday. I checked out the 1st 2 seasons of Northern Exposure on DVD for Huss (his former favorite show). We sat around watching this quirky show and just had a great time. It's rare that the three of us all have something that we can enjoy watching together since our tastes differ so greatly. In the 2nd episode, Maurice Minnifield, former astronaut and owner of the local radio station fires DJ Chris for discussing Walt Whitman's homosexuality. Maurice launches into a diatribe about America & how America needs heroes. Read on for Maurice's thoughts on Walt Whitman

I don't give a damn if Walt Whitman kicked with his right foot or his left foot or that J. Edgar Hoover took it better than he gave it, or that Ike was true blue to Mamie, or that god knows who had trouble with the ponies or the bottle. We need our heroes. We need men we can look up to, believe in. Men who walked tall. We cannot chop them off at the knees just to prove they're like the rest of us. Now, Walt Whitman was a pervert, but he was the best poet that America ever produced. And if he was standin' here today and somebody called him a fruit or queer behind his back or to his face or over these airways--that person would have to answer to me. Sure we're all human. But there are damn few of us that have the right stuff to be called heroes. And that closes the book on that subject." -Maurice Minnifield

Huss reminds me of Maurice in this way. He's got his heroes: Mickey Mantle, John Glenn, other great men that we don't want to see besmirched by scandal. I often disagree with him politically. He's also the most generous soul I know. Always willing to spend time with his children and grandchildren. Eager to have the family together for supper on Sunday evenings. I love him. When my pop died, I resented the fact that my children would have a maternal grandfather, now I thank God for him. He is a wonderful, Godly man who radiates love. I'll never get over the loss of my old man, but knowing Sarah, Jack, & L'il Mo have Grandpa reassures me. Maurice is right. We need our heroes. So here's to you Huss, you're one of my heroes.
[The above photo comes from our 1st family vacation & is my father-in-law's 1st ever Corona: Hope we have a bunch more together (vacations & Coronas)!]