The LuLac Edition #2061, May 21st, 2012

Then candidate for Judge, Tina Polacheck Gartley and her dad in 2009. 

  

SOUL AND INSPIRATION

As I grow older, I begin to think of where I’ve been and how I got there. When I was in my 30s, I assumed that I did it on my own. But as I got older, I remembered the life lessons my parents taught me. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about my parents, my uncles and aunts, all those who grew up in the Great Depression and came of age in WWII. One day that brought those thoughts clearly into focus was in 2009 when I attended a campaign event for Tina Polachek Gartley. I was making the rounds and spied the candidate darting from one potential voter to another. But that frenetic action stopped when she saw her father making his way toward a table unassisted. Immediately she anchored herself to him and begin introducing him around. He didn’t say much but as best I remember, school bus drivers were never the most loquacious. After all, they had lives in their hands every day. I got to meet Mr. Polachek and I asked if I could take a photo of the two. I got smiles all around.  This week Vice President Joe Biden went on a rant about how his middle class parents, those of that greatest generation dreamed the same big dreams that wealthy people dreamed for their children. He made the distinction that no one had to have a bigger bank account than another if they wanted to dream for their children. But the point Biden missed is that with the dream, comes the hard work. The inspiration, the example, the support. Without all those things, dreams would just be that: dreams. At one point, Mr. Polachek made a dream for his daughter. Then he began to set the example of hard work, good cheer and belief in her abilities. A parent and child are in effect a team in this endeavor. The parent plants the seed and the child, through work, determination, luck and good fortune make it a reality. Tina Polachek’s father Robert, died last night, (and that loss I’m sad to say will never, ever get better) but he did get the opportunity to see his daughter’s, and by extension, his wish for a better career life, come to fruition. It brings home the point that this is what parents are supposed to do. And those of us lucky enough to have had them in their lives, with their example, are recipients of a very lucky life lottery. If you think I’m wrong, take a good look at the photo. That night, with all the politicos trying to gain advantage, those two were frozen in a moment in time. Dad and daughter knowing that both were the two luckiest people in the room.