Me and Dad on the Gracie Mae

I grew up afraid of my dad. He never hit me. I never saw him hit my siblings. I only heard the stories. Once he broke his own hand when he slammed it down on the desk by the kitchen. I saw him do it. He knew I was afraid of him and it bothered him when I pulled away.


When I was ten, my dad bought a pontoon boat. He left it sit by the neighbor's garage all winter. Come spring, he began scraping, priming, and painting the pontoons. He yanked out the rotten benches and scrubbed the deck.  By the time he was done, the boat was bright and clean and didn't smell like dead fish. My mom and sisters wanted nothing to do with the boat. My brother liked the boat but complained that the motor wasn't powerful enough to pull a water skier. I loved the boat. My dad and I named her the Gracie Mae. Even before school was out, on warm evenings, Dad and I would take the short drive to Grand Rapids Marina on the Maumee River, where Gracie was docked. By the time we made it half-way up the river, the coals in the hibachi were white-hot. When we got near the sandbar, Dad dropped the anchor. I finished grilling our onion burgers and we ate. Sometimes he would throw in a line, and me, I was content to dangle my toes in the muddy river. There was nothing scary about my dad when it was just us on the Gracie Mae.

16 comments:

  1. Sounds like Gracie Mae gave your dad the inner peace he wanted you to see. Glad you have such wonderful memories.

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  2. That's a powerful narrative post, and the images work a certain magic, too. From a writing perspective, I really thought your opening is counterbalanced nicely with the ending.
    Kevin

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  3. I am so happy you found time with your dad that you weren't afraid--and what a great time you must have had on the Gracie Mae.

    I also want to tell you how much I enjoy your posts from your childhood and the accompanying pictures.They are always a great visual. And it's so important to record family stories.

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  4. Your sisters and mom didn't know what they were missing. I ugess you needed some time with your dad, just you two.
    My dad was very much like your dad,and I used to crave his attention as a child and never really got it. Lucky you.

    Great photo! One to remember.

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  5. Powerful memories. Humans are such a dichotomy. Anger is such a powerful emotion - many people stuff it until it erupts. They never really learned to manage it at a young age.

    For many they learn to handle that anger as they age and mature. Unfortunately the previous behavior colors our relationships, it is hard to repair that kind of damage.

    Like repairing Gracie it takes lots of work and cleaning out what was rotting. Always the danger that something was missed. I am glad you have some good memories to call up.

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  6. It's so interesting what young children think when they see an adult lose control. They never forget it. It seems to me that it's up to the adult to make amends, to try to make the situation better. Maybe your dad tried in his way to do that by letting you go on the boat, enjoying the easy companionship? Anyway, it's just my opinion from afar, looking into your story. I liked the way you started with the feelings of being scared, but seemed to balance them with the times on the boat. You have a good, story-telling style. Always makes me want to read more.

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  7. I hope your dad reads your blog. I agree with the other blogger about your dad finding peace on the lake with you. You found common ground--something not all find in a parent.

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  8. I was scared of my dad also so I understood that fear. So glad that the ending was different than what I expected.

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  9. I love how you wove this special memory together.

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  10. What I like most about your post is the image of a child in a shadow and then out of it. There's even a sense of sunlight, warmth and a special place that no one else knows about.

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  11. What a fantastic story Elizabeth, with photos. This is a slice that you begin and can't pull away from it, even if you are dying for your first cup of morning coffee.
    Thanks for sharing this,
    Bonnie

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  12. It's nice to have a connection with your father on the Gracie Mae. Sounds like you too bonded over that boat. I love your descriptions!

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  13. Reading your post, I felt like I was watching a movie, seeing your relationship evolve from fear to acceptance, from reserved to peace. Your sensory descriptions painted the pictures. MHG

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  14. I just loved that ending...and the fact that you ended the piece with "Gracie Mae."

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  15. Can you imagine if the Gracie Mae hadn't come along? Painful memories would be all you could draw on. But you have something to temper your memories and balance them out.

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  16. It's all been said but I enjoyed your story. I liked your sharing and that you had a special time with your dad. Those moments are so special and you made it so precious. Share this with your dad if you still can. Thanks for sharing. Happy Slicing! :)

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