"Daddy says I don't have to take that sh*t from no one!"

Here is the story behind probably my earliest memory...at least I *think* I remember it, but it may be one of those things that is more a 'memory' because the story has been told so many times :0) Either way, it's a cute story that I like...

So when I was little my dad started his auto repair business at home, and stayed home with my brother and I...I was always mature for my age, and dad would have me answer the phone for him while he was out in the garage working (this was before we had the extension in the garage). The story goes that a lot of times I had backwards numbers and letters, but when dad asked me what it was sposed to say, I could always tell him, and it was always right when he called the number! Most of the people who had dad do regular maintenance on their vehicles knew that I would answer the phone for dad when he was busy, and I would take a message, and that the message ALWAYS got to my dad, and so no one had a problem leaving a message with me.

One day, when I was 4 or 5 (my brother would have been in school all day at this point), he had to go up the back road for something (or something like that; I guess that part of the 'memory' is foggy), and told me to stay in the house, and if someone calls, to tell them he couldn't come to the phone right now and take a message.

When dad returns to the house, he finds me curled up in a ball, red eyed, wet cheeked and still sobbing...He asked me what was wrong, and I went on to tell him that "A mean man called and asked for my Dad and when I told him he couldn't come to the phone right now but could I take a message he yelled at me and told me if I don't put my daddy on the phone RIGHT NOW he was going to come over to my house and spank me".

Now, I don't remember my dad's reaction, but I know exactly what he looks like when he is really mad, and I am sure that I know EXACTLY what he looked like that day! He had this look he used to get in his eye, and that look was only ever directed at me once, when I was 18, and I made it very clear to him that he had better never aim that look at me ever again...I knew all to well what came after he got that look in his eye, but that is another post I am not ready to compose yet...

I do know that my dad didn't know for sure who it was, but I do know that he found out later and let the dude have it...I would not have wanted to be on the receiving end of THAT.

So when my mom got home that day, I told her right away about the mean man who called and told me to put my daddy on the phone or he was going to spank me, and I went on to tell her, with hands on hips of course, that "Daddy says I don't have to take that SHIT from no one!!"

It's still one of my favorite, and one of my few, good memories.