Dad and His Philosophy

Not everyone gets to be a Joseph Campbell.

My dad read a lot of history and philosophy.

He died at age eighty-nine 6-years ago or so.

He admired the likes of Joseph Campbell,

would have preferred to be a student of phi-

losophy instead of the salesman he turned out

to be. We all have our dreams even though so

many never achieve the panacea of our desiring.

Being a product of The Great Depression and a

veteran of WWII, dad considered a steady job

and money in his pocket an imperative priority.

He figured he could wax philosophic on his own

time. And on the occasion when he did, friends

and family would nod their heads pretending

they understood. In reality, dad was a dyed in

the wool pragmatist anchored in the realm of

practical economics and perceived necessity.

He knew his facts and extolled the tactics of

famed and stalwart figures in history; lauded

the when, where and why of Sparta’s King

Leonidas victory over the Persians at Thermo-

pylae. And, often he adopted Caesar’s choice of

crossing his own personal Rubicon over and again

again to the point of no return. Had dad been a bit

less philosophical and a more cunning and ruth-

less, who knows, in another time and place, he

may have become emperor or king, an elevated

status, historically, few if any insurance salesmen

have ever achieved. To dad’s way of thinking, how-

ever, the proverb, a bird in the hand..., in all practi-

cality made a hell of a lot more sense to him.

Chris Hanch 11-7-18