Chicken Gizzards and Aerosmith
The two things that I can count on to keep Dad and me close.
Of his three daughters, I had the most difficulty building a connection with Dad. We had so much uncommon that I often wondered if I was his daughter.
Did I get mixed up in the delivery room with another baby?
Rest assured, I'm my Dad's middle child, as there is no mistaking where my stubbornness, drive for independence, and affinity for DIY came from. However, as a child, it wasn't easy to build a bond with him.
He enjoyed gardening and yard work, and I avoided the sun like a vampire. As a ginger with exceptionally delicate skin and unable to grow any plants except weeds, I'd say this was a solid misconnection.
He hated traveling and was a homebody. Me? As a child, I knew I would someday venture to the world's furthest countries.
Frequently after dinner, he'd binge-watch TV. Me? Go ahead, Pop. I'll be in my room reading a book, trying to solve the mystery about alien existence.
There was a time that I desperately tried to make a relationship with him and even went as far as pretending to enjoy watching wrestling on WWE (It was WWF back then.) I recall when he tried to sit at one of my band recitals, but I could tell he hated every second of hearing the squeal of my clarinet. However, Dad always kept an eye for an opportunity to figure out how we could solidify our kinship. To both of our surprises, we discovered it together - and in the most unusual way - but it is something that makes me feel closest to him: Chicken Gizzards and Aerosmith.
Knowing that my Dad could always count on me to help him with the latest DIY or paint project, he'd always pick me to go with him to help fix up grandma's house or help give it a facelift. No doubt, you can count on us jamming out to Queen and Pink Floyd. However, it was Aerosmith where Dad and I jammed out the most. Sometimes, we found ourselves playing more air guitar than fixing things.
Ignoring the flakes of drywall in my hair, I'd lip-sync along with Steve Tyler as Dad would bob his head in the corner, prepping the next corner to slather another coat of color on.
One day, we found ourselves finishing a project early. "Do you feel like getting some chicken gizzards?" he unlocked the car door for me.
Wide-eyed and speechless, I stared at him. Yup, I'm definitely Dad's daughter. He knows a sure-fire way to my heart. "Yes!" I cheer, getting into his black Grand Am.
In record time, we placed our order at our favorite local Kansas City franchise, Go Chicken Go. Not bothering to look at the menu, Dad and I already knew what each other wanted:
- A full order of chicken gizzards to split
- One strawberry Fanta for him
- One Diet Pepsi for me
Thinking we'd head home to clean up, he surprised me by turning north instead of south. Where are we going?
Just riding along and going with the flow, Dad pulls onto the road circling our county lake. After a quick shift into the park, he rolls down the windows and opens the sunroof. Queuing up a favorite of ours, I fill my belly with warm chicken bits as I play imaginary drums across the dash.
(You can't help yourself from falling)
(You can't help yourself at all)
Between interludes, I'd gorge myself again with more gizzards and hang out of the window, letting my hair tangle in the breeze. Counting the deer as they passed, we'd rock out to Cryin', Crazy, and Walk This Way.
Only on the way home did we allow ourselves to Dream On.
Oh, sing with me, this mournful dub
Sing for the laughter, and sing for the tear
Sing with me, if it's just for today
Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away
Little did I know that the good Lord would take him away one day.
Although we struggled to connect, I still find myself doing the same things as an adult as I did as a child while doing my paint and DIY projects: Air jamming to Aerosmith. Occasionally, I'd sneak off, grab a basket of gizzards, and continue rocking out with my sunroof open just so I can feel close to him.
Thank you, Daddy. These are our moments and I'm going to carry them on with me even after you're gone.
About the Creator
Crystal A. Wolfe
Blogger | Creative Writer | Traveler | Full-Time RVer
You can find all of my articles on my blog as well on Medium where I'm most active in Humor, Lifestyle, and Travel. I've self-published one fantasy fiction with the sequel in the works.
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