my dad's birthday

my post for my father on his birthday.  it was on FB, so he likely won't see it, but it's probably better that way.

"A word, before I return to work. 

Today is my father's 80th birthday. Robert "Bob" Thomas, a man who has gone far beyond amazing into the realm I like to think of, for our people, as 'mystical'.

He is a man who didn't finish high school out of necessity, and later received a couple degrees from the local university. He was at one time a notorious alcoholic (just ask most of the surviving community) who not only attained recovery from drinking, but helped scores of alcoholics and addicts to do the same through his work as an EAP at General Motors, from which he retired.

He got sober at a time where the lines were being re-drawn rather firmly in the sand between white and black recovery, and he took steps to not leave himself or other black people without recourse by co-founding the Ebony Lifeline Support Group here in this city, which has gone on to help those who felt marginalized by the conventions of 12 Step recovery (almost typed 13 step, HAHAHA! inside joke), as well as produced an Ebony Lifeline Sports Banquet and Sports Hall of Fame for persons of color in the community, and a Radio Show, Life On Life's Terms, which started at the university he graduated from.

He has helped a lot of people. He has become a social activist, respected and honored in both Youngstown and the state of Ohio itself.

On a more personal note, at least twice in this reality, if it wasn't for him, yours truly would not be here. Once in '68, and once in 1988 when he got me into the Care Unit in Salem, Ohio, from which I've maintained sobriety since.

I used to fear this man, personal things, ask if you want to know. Someone pretty smart told me, "Being in a program, you'll learn some things that he had to go through, and you'll come to understand a lot more about him. Feel what you feel for now, but be prepared to change." Prophecy. I love him dearly now, and honor his life and spirit as much as I am able. We are, temperamentally, polar opposites, and I am in awe of how well he can suffer fools. But he is probably the biggest fan of my writing, and my biggest support in everything else these days.
He has no Facebook page, that I know of (right hand don't let the left hand know what it's doing, his famous philosophical leaning), so you don't have to do anything. But I wanted it known that a man lived 8 decades and did a lot with his time. That should never go unremarked."