This one is for the old man...

I want to thank my dad today. I know it's not an awards show or anything but there are days when I think about him and I am so grateful he is my old man. My dad came to the United States when he was still young from Puerto Rico. He grew up in El Barrio, and then went off to fight in Vietnam. As a young man he was a correction officer, taxi driver, security manager, and probably so many other things that I cannot remember. What I will always remember though is his talent for photography and when little girls were being taught how to tie their shoes he was teaching me what an F stop was. When other daddies were buying ice cream and taking their kids to the movies, my dad took me camping, fishing, hiking and of course, we would go off into the world and take photographs. He is the one that taught me about the "eye" that every good photographer must have. I always remember the "eye". Every small interest I had was met with my dad's big ideas of how I could become a dancer, or photographer; I could tour the world, play music; whatever I wanted to be I could be..His advice to me was always, " don't expect people to give you what you want. You need to know what you want and TAKE it".

So I post all this because my dad had offered to give me a lap top computer as a graduation gift. Instead I asked if he could front some dough for jewelry supplies so that eventually I could buy my own laptop...and he obliged without a doubt. I have failed in life many times in the most miserable way and here is my dad with the faith to help me in something he knows I love. I will always love him for supporting my crazy ideas and allowing me to be CINDY. simple as that....