DADDY LONG LEGS

 DADDY LONG LEGS

My father had long legs and they served him well for all his 93 years of life. He was a great walker--in fact, during WWII when people were asked to cut back on the use of their cars to conserve gas for the war effort, Dad went one step farther and put our Ford on blocks in the garage and that is where it stayed for the duration--that was the term we used to signify the period of time it would take to defeat Hitler and Tojo. He finally sold the car after the war and didn't buy another until 1950. This was not a hardship we endured as patriotic citizens because walking had been a part of the Walter Paul family from as far back as I can remember. However, using "shanks mare" was not just a way for getting from point A to point B but was a form of recreation that not only exercised our bodies but also provided a means for observing the world around us.

Sundays were church days when, after the service, we walked into a house filled with the aroma of pot roast or chicken cooking in the old roaster. That also was the day for afternoon walks with Dad--that is, after he had his usual "shut-eye" after dinner, snoring contentedly, mouth wide open, in the old oak rocker. When he woke, off he went for a brisk walk with one of his children accompanying him; I don't remember how the lucky companion was chosen. 

Being the youngest of the family, I envied my siblings and pouted or cried when told my legs were too short to keep up with Daddy. However, the day finally came when  "Daddy's girl" finally was invited to take a walk with him. Now remembering how he never sauntered but strode along at a lively pace, I can imagine how difficult it must have been to match my "stride" that day, especially while holding my hand--if it was, he never showed it or urged me to hurry up. This was the first time I became aware of his vast knowledge of the natural world around us, for we often stopped to observe the particular characteristics of a tree or flower, or something would remind him of his youth--stories he knew I loved to hear. 

Our walks did not end when I became an adult, nor did I ever stop learning from Dad during those private times we shared. Of course before long I was able to easily keep up with his long stride, as did all of my siblings, and I don't remember any of us ever walking less than at full force nor graciously suffering saunterers clogging the sidewalks or trails. I suppose you could say that our Daddy Long Legs truly left us a valuable LEGacy.