The Board Meeting had come to an end. Bob starred to stand up and jostled
the table, spilling his coffee over his notes. "How embarrassing. I am
getting so clumsy in my old age." Everyone had a good laugh, and soon
we were all telling stories of our most embarrassing moments. It came
around to Frank who sat quietly listening to the others. Someone said
," Come on, Frank. Tell us your most embarrassing moment." Frank began
," I grew up in San Pedro. My Dad was a fisherman, and he loved the sea
. He had his own boat, but it was hard making a living on the sea. He worked
hard and would stay out until he caught enough to feed he family. Not
just enough for our family, but also for his Mom and Dad and the other
kids that were still and home." He looked at us and said," I wish you
could have met my Dad. He was a big man, and he was strong from pulling
the nets and fighting the seas for his catch. When you got close to him
, he smelled the ocean." Frank's voice dropped a bit." When the weather
was bad he would drive me to school. He would pull right up in front, and
it seemed like everybody would be standing around and watching. Then he
would lean over and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be
a good boy. It was so embarrassing for me. Here I was twelve years old
, and my Dad would lean over and kiss me good-bye!" He paused and then
went on," I remember the day I thought I was too old for a good-bye kiss
. When we got the school and came to a stop, he had his usual big smile
. He started to lean toward me, but I put my hand up and said,' No, Dad
.' It was the first time I had ever talked to him that way, and he had
this surprised looked on his face. I said,' Dad, I'm too old for a good
-bye kiss. I'm too old for any kind of kiss.' My Dad looked at me for the
longest tine, and his eyes started to tear up. I had never seen him cry
. He turned and looked our the windshield.' You're right,' he said.' You
are a big boy a man. I won't kiss you anymore.'" For the moment, Frank
got a funny look on his face, and the tears began to well up in his eyes
. "It wasn't long after that when my Dad went to sea and never came back
." I looked at Frank and saw that tears were running down his cheeks. Frank
spoke again." Guys, you don't know what I woud give to have my Dad give
me just one more kiss on the cheek to feel his rough old face to smell
the ocean on him to feel his arm around my neck. I wish I had been a man
then. If I had been a man, I would been a man, I would never have told
my Dad I was too old for a good-bye kiss."