This is my post for #freewriters 2623 prompt approve of me hosted by @mariannewest
My Dad made me quit school at the end of my ninth year. He said a woman does not need an education, she should stay home, have babies, and take care of the home. But I felt he had a double standard because he raised me to know how to work on things that in my mind, a man should take care of, like working on my car or building things. I loved working with him but felt as if I was to do what he would call "woman duties" then why is he teaching me what I would call "man duties"? His standards confused me.
Dad believed as he would say, "keeping the gene line pure". By this, he meant I was to only marry a white guy with blue eyes. He said they have the strongest genes, I have never dated a man with blue eyes, my husband's eyes are brown.
I do not know if there is any truth to what he believed but I do think it was wrong of him to tell us we could not date who our heart desired.
I only remember one guy he wanted me to have as a boyfriend and marry, he said this to me many times. The boy was someone I went to grade school with and he picked on me. I am the one with the puffy sleeves and he is sitting behind me. When the teacher was not looking he would push me and my desk inch by silent inch, out of line and turn it sideways in the classroom, he would also pull my hair, all through grade school he sat behind me in class and I had to put up with his picking on me. I did not want anything to do with him.
Dad was friends with his Dad who had money, I feel that was why Dad wanted me to marry him, I do not remember if he had blue eyes. Dad did not approve of me seeing any other boy. When I got married I think he accepted my husband, I do not think he approved of him.
I am not sure if Dad approved of me being a commercial fisherman but I think some part of him was proud that I am the only person in our family to carry on fishing I am a third generation fisherman. I fished for the same fish house that he fished with his father. When I fished there it was owned by the daughter of the man who owned it when they fished there.
photos are mine