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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

The Man In The Mirror

In an op-ed for the Coeur d'Alene Press, William Rutherford writes about the mixed emotions he has about his father:

I look into my bathroom mirror while shaving this morning and see my father's face; not the benevolent father who teaches me to bait a hook with a red wiggler as a 5-year-old little boy or the nurturing father who cries at my wedding. I see the harsh, unforgiving father who yells when I throw a baseball onto the roof to retrieve as the ball rolls back toward the Earth and is disappointed when I earn a 3.14 GPA for my Bachelor of Science degree at Black Hill State University. I see the face of a man who screams when I laugh too loudly and tells me that, "When you sing, you sound like a turkey cackling." I place my razor on the counter, balance my weight by placing my hands on both sides of the sink and stare at the person I no longer recognize. How did I become my dad? As I stare into the mirror I see a wrinkled face, faded blue eyes and hair that is no longer there. I also recognize the soul of a man who never achieved what life has to offer. More here.

Question: Do you take after your father?



D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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