A great man was born today (originally written 6/16/07)

Today's the Colonel's 60th birthday, and it's got me thinking about some things. After years of vowing I'd never be anything like my dad, I finally realized that I'll probably spend the rest of my life trying to become more like him. I understand now that he's the type of man I want to be, and the type of person I want around me. He's compassionate, patient (to a point) forgiving, honest, (the Santa Claus lie aside) and funny. He knows when to laugh at himself, and when not to laugh at someone else.

In more ways than he may ever know, he's taught me how to be a man. Not through lectures and speeches (though I've gotten my fair share of those), but by being what he wanted me to be. He wanted me to be a man who bore my color, name, and talents with pride and dignity--and he taught me by doing it himself.

I recall an incident when I first joined the Navy. I was in boot camp, and there was a poster on the wall that showed all four branches of the military, and their equivalent ranks. It showed what an E-4 was in all four branches, then what an Officer First class was in all branches, etc. Some of the guys and I were clowning around in front of the poster, bragging about how much rank some of us had upon entry. With four years of JROTC and two years of college, I was entering as an E-3, as opposed to some guys with no ROTC, and just a high school diploma, who were entering as E-1's. I pointed out where I was, then looked up the list to see how that compared with the Colonel's rank. Let's see...I'm here (indicating E-3) and Dad is.....(finger traces up the ranks of enlisted titles).....he's right about......(finger begins to pass officers's ranks).....riiiiiiighht about......(finger has reached upper ranks of officers' titles)....here. Whoa. When I saw the stark difference between my meager position and the position of clear power and authority held by my father, I realized just how far he's gotten in his life. The bulk of his career took place in a very unenlightened time in American history, and he accomplished all that as a Black man in that time. To see just how high his career reached was a moment of intense pride and love.

So while I might have had different idols at different times in my life, I now know that my hero--the man who has done the most to ensure my happiness and well-being; the one man who has done the most to shape me into a person of any quality; the man to whom I will always look to determine what makes a man--has always been my father.

It is with great pride that, on his birthday and the day before Fathers' Day, I salute the Colonel--the greatest man I'll ever know.