DAD'S APPROVAL

I was watching Friday Night Lights, one of my all times favorite TV shows the other night.  It happened to be their final episode after a pretty good run.  As most shows that have been successful, Friday Night Lights was being given the dignity of a series ending show as opposed to being axed and disappearing with no word of explanation from the network.  Given that luxury the show was tying up loose ends among the many fantastic characters they had developed during the series.

One of these loose ends was an on again off again relationship between Matt, a local high school football star and Julie, the daughter of Matt’s football coach.  After graduating from high school Matt had moved away to Chicago to pursue a career in art, thus initiating the off again portion of the relationship.  Julie had gone to a small Texas college and left no doubt as to the off again part.    

In this show they hook up again in their home town, Dillon, Texas and Matt gets down on one knee to propose to Julie on the sidewalk in front of a restaurant.  She says yes.  Then he tells her he wants to do things the right way and ask her father for her hand in marriage.  Julie strongly objects but Matt goes ahead with his plan.  Her father goes ballistic and says something about hell freezing over.  Matt says he is over 18 and his doesn’t need his permission anyway.  The show ends with there being little doubt that Julie and Matt will wed.

This brought back memories for me.  Many moons ago, on a blind date, I met this vivacious blond babe with the most gorgeous smile I had ever seen.  I sensed before we met that this was THE ONE.  I proposed on our third date.  She said yes.  Then, being the gentleman I am, I let Terry (the blond babe) know that I would be coming to her house to ask her Dad for her hand in marriage. 

To set the stage for you, Terry is from a good Catholic family and the second oldest of nine kids.  They lived in a small, 2 story, 3 bedroom house.  Her mother and father lived in the only downstairs bedroom while the 9 kids shared the rooms upstairs.  There was a stairway, off the dining room that led to their rooms.

I arrived about 8 o’clock on the big night.  I won’t say I was nervous; apprehensive might be a better word.  Terry welcomed me into the living room where I sat facing his honor.  For some reason I felt the need to engage in some meaningless banter while building up my courage.  Finally, mid-sentence, while talking about who knows what, I said “I would like to marry your daughter and would love to have your approval”.  While I am sure he relished holding my feet to the fire, Joe (Terry’s father) graciously granted his approval and said he would be proud to welcome me into their family.  While I had not been in doubt about the outcome I was very relieved that this was over and content with myself that I, like Matt, had done the proper, manly thing.      

I was to find out later that the rest of the family was lined up on the stairway out of sight, listening to the entire conversation.