I Simply Held the Light For My Hero

My Dad was a very practical man, so adept at many things. Why, he could fix my bike and replace a watch's springs! Many times I stayed by his side as he worked late into the night. I learned so many things from him as I simply held the light! He could tear an engine down and put it together again! He could hang a garage door or replace a broken window pane! He showed me how to tie a fishing fly and how to make a kite! I learned so many things from Dad by simply holding the light! Growing up during The Great Depression things were really tough. He even had to repair our shoes with heels and soles, sure enough! He was a talented carpenter who made sure things fit snug and tight. So many things I learned from Dad by simply holding the light! If the old John Deere tractor wouldn't start he knew exactly what to do. He knew how to doctor his horses, hogs, cows and little puppies too! He could butcher a hog in a trice and cure its hams and bacons right. I learned so many things from Dad as I stood and simply held the light! He could repair an inner tube, repair a harrow and shoe a horse! He mastered the use of a dowsing rod and could trace water to its source! Dad was and is my hero and taught me always to do things right. So many, many things I learned from Dad as I simply held the light! Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired