Lessons Learned from Dad

Happy Father's Day! Perhaps next year, hubs and I will be celebrating his first Father's Day? Let's hope so. 


In honor of Father's Day, I'd like to take a minute to recap some of the lessons learned from my daddy-o:

1. "You don't know what you don't know." - Seriously peeps, this phrase rang through my house growing up pretty much every day. I hated it. Hated the words as soon as they came out of his mouth, while I stewed in my teen angst thinking that my dad knew nothing. But, he was right. When I was younger, I didn't know shit. I learned a lot. And usually the hard way.
   
2. Get renter's insurance BEFORE you move into your apartment. - Again, advice from dad I ignored. We got it after we moved into our first place. Which didn't kick in until AFTER the place burned down. True story. I'll share more on that someday.
   
3. You won't get what you want unless you work for it. - Dad owns his own business, so a good work ethic was instilled in me as a kid. My sister and I are both workers, and have never expected to be handed things in life. My dad works more hours a week than anyone should, but he owns a successful business and he didn't get there sitting on his ass.
   
4. Pay yourself first. - Take a designated amount of your paycheck and put it into a savings account. If you never have that money to begin with, you'll never miss it.
   
5. Coffee is a helluva drug. - Seriously, this man drinks coffee like it's going out of style. Although in recent years, he seems to have cut back, in his hayday he took a GIANT thermos to work. And probably got an additional cup or two. I hated coffee. Until I was forced into the working world. Now, I can't survive without it. Sad, I know.
   
6. If your kids don't listen to you the first 15674 times, time for drastic measures. - Like the time I refused to hang up the phone after being told three times. Dad's solution? Cut the cord. Or how about when I slammed the door after being told not to. Take the door off the hinges. Had to hand it to him, he got his point across. 

Happy Father's Day, dad! Thanks for teaching me lessons, and making me the huge smartass I am today!