I felt like giving my daughter a present for Father’s Day. It’s the thought that counts, and my thought was about the joy and hope that Mary Schmitt, now 26, has already given not only to me on any given day, but to countless family members and friends over time.
Like fatherhood itself, the tasks related to this present required some work, but I knew this was no day to skimp on the effort of imparting knowledge and experiences. They will come in handy. And anyway, it was fun.
I prepared a list of links to 20 YouTube videos featuring some of my favorite songs from decades past. To make this an even more transcendent family affair, I also linked to 11 videos containing songs that I knew were important to my now-deceased dad—because of ideas they expressed, or who performed them, or simply the memories they evoked.
In consultation with Eileen, I added two “bonus tracks”—songs that she remembered had brought a special smile to her own dad. Thus, two great grandfathers (not great-grandfathers) received a voice allowing them to sing and laugh with Mary.
This whole exercise highlighted for me the importance of intergenerational conversation, passing important-ish wisdom down from the Boomer generation to the Millennials and Gen Z. Our digital tools make this purpose-driven browsing an easy, interactive experience, even though we often neglect or trivialize the internet’s archive of authentic pleasures.
Fathers (and mothers) can play a stewardship role with these legacies which help form and inform those we love, spanning the past, present, and future. My service was pro bono, with the only “cost” being my safari-like quest through YouTube for the most impactful video versions of each song. And the occasional tears triggered by my own nostalgia.
I also got to celebrate the talent of performers from different eras, the gift of YouTube as a digital medium of analog exchange, and the power of music in packets of sharable values. My venture sent me down several fruitful, upbeat rabbit holes offering additional facts and inspirations. Plenty of songs about affection and appreciation.
You are welcome to see and play the eclectic and eccentric list I delivered on Sunday. I welcome your comments. And I wish a Happy Father’s Day, unbounded by time, to all of you.
Songs my own dad liked:
I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General
Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime
“Lawrence Welk Show” Closing Theme
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together
“All in the Family” (Opening Song)
Bonus: Songs Papa Joe liked:
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
Songs I like:
Trying to Get the Feeling Again
Superman Theme (John Williams)
Superman Love Theme (from film)
Shower the People You Love with Love
Image from ClifSafari, a collection of Creative Commons designs.
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