Sorry John; and also, interesting to hear other commentary on lost parents. I hadn't looked at prius websites until I bought mine 2 months ago. Your voluminous site was the 1st to hold my interest ... which eventually led me here. I wondered why you hadn't added to your log since 1/18, after years of precise entries ... now, I presume that you were dealing with your dad. The point that he introduced you to cars, and that you've taken off so thoroughly, is a terrific factor in your favor. May The Force be with you !
Thank you all for the kind words. I collapsed last night from exhaustion. This morning I got up quite refreshed after an extremely hard sleep. Now it is time to look back at life before Prius... a pleasant distraction I setup for myself knowing someday I'd need it as an escape from the pressure of dealing with the tough stuff... like this. Anywho, before the website, I was heavily into digital video. Imagine what it was like trying to capture content in the highest possible quality 9 years ago. Hundreds of files pushing cpu, memory, and storage to the extreme. It really paid off! I just finished converting the first batch of those very old MPEG-1 music videos to DivX. To my delight, they look surprising good played back on a widescreen television. It feels great knowing some of that past hasn't been lost. Next will be to begin scanning the thousands of family photos. Last summer, I got all setup to digitize (in very, very high quality) those irreplaceable moments in time... but the heart wasn't up to that level of emotional stress knowing my father was suffering physically. Now, that will be my tribute to him. Thanks again for your thoughts. .
My condolences, too. In reading your story, I am reminded how we strive to honor our parents by being the best children we can be. May we all take a moment to remember our parents, and if we are fortunate to still have them with us, take the opportunity to remind them how much we love and care for them.
I'm so sorry to hear about your losses, John & Patrick. Both of your families will be in my thoughts.
I'm so very sorry about your loss...your dad sounds like he was a wonderful person and a great father. I lost my father when I was only six....he would have loved the technology of today. Although it was over 45 years ago, I miss him more today than ever. Ride on dad!
John, sorry for your loss. It is so hard losing a parent. Apparently, he left a great son to carry on in his name.
So sorry to hear about your loss. I lost my dad 29 years ago as well. I was not old enough to know him or have video of him (only pictures). John, do archive those video very well. You will be a dad one day right?
That's why I've worked so hard to support hybrids... wanting a better world for those children that haven't even been born yet. .
So sorry for your loss, John. Just saw your thread. I also noticed your logs stopped. Thanks for all you do for the Prius community.
John; in times like this, there is never the "right" thing to say...it does sound like your Dad lived a good life and your relationship with him was a treasured one. i sincerely hope you and your family are doing well, Dave
Sorry to hear about losing your Dad. On the 23rd of this month it will have been 9 years since my Dad left this world.
Sorry to hear about your loss. My parents are gone too. Both taken away within 5 years of each other. Mom first and Dad 5 years later, mostly of a broken heat. Dad and I spent lots of time tinkering on vehicles it seemed. He was a very smart guy. Remember the good times!! Jon
One day, when I was 7 years old, I walked home from school to find an ambulance in front of my house. My mother was taken away, never to return. She died within 6 months. The grief and sadness did not hit me right away. It took me time to realize that she really was gone. I couldn't comprehend it. It was the worst crisis in my life, one I could barely endure. I spent months wishing she would come back. It was awful. My father died when I was 13. My condolences to those of you who have lost parents and loved ones. I know what loss is. We all do. Your loss should be balanced against the many years you had them. Harry
The wake, service, and funeral all went well. I choked when saying my eulogy, though managed along. But it wasn't until they fired the guns in his honor (he was a veteran) that it sunk in just how final the situation really was. Bang! It's over. Suffering changed to peace. Father's day will be a sad time for me. Since it was always close to my birthday, he and I used to treat each other to a day out at the State Fair... where there were several hundred classic cars gathered that same time every year. On the brighter side, it was his influence that contributed heavily to my support for hybrids. So part of him will always live in the legacy I'm helping to build... Dad, I miss you. .
I am very sorry to hear of your loss. My Dad passed in 1983 when I was about 24 years old. He too was a great Dad and introduced me to cars at an early age. Every Father's Day I take a ride to the cemetary and just sit for awhile. I lost my Mom on 5-5-2005. She never remarried after losing my Dad. Now I go on Mother's Day too. Our parents truly do mold us into much of who we become in life. It may not seem so much but when an uncle or Aunt mentions how I sound like my Dad or I say an expression my Mom told me, it all comes back. We do get over the pain in time but the memories, good and not so good, are a reminder (at least to me) that I have been extremely fortunate in this life to have had parents always tried to do "the right thing" and invested much of their time in raising me. I too spoke at my Mom's service and managed to get through it with the help of some good friends and family. It takes a while for everything to sink in. There is no magic formula. Just do what you do and celebrate the gifts your Dad was able to give, and when you have a chance pass them on to others. I caught myself last night as my wife and I were at a dance event mentioning to younger folks that Friday night was traditionally a "men's night" and Saturday was a date night. It then dawned on me that those were words my father had spoken to me when I was a young man beginning to go out into the world. That thought made me think of him and reminded me to be grateful for all he gave me.
