The story of my step father

[Mr. Silly]

 

At the age of six, my stepfather’s father drove him along with his mother and two siblings to the county courthouse, left them there and drove off. 

He was born in 1928 so this was during the Depression.  At the time, women didn't have many career options so she didn't have too many good job opportunities.  She resorted to prostitution.  To help the family, he would get up early and collect nightcrawlers and try to sell them by the side of the road to people going fishing.

He was tall for his age.  At 16, toward the end of WWII, he joined the Merchant Marines.  He was eventually assigned to the 'SS Cliffs Victory' where he worked as a telegraph operator.  He did that for several years.  Eventually, he moved on.  He was usually self-employed selling various items.  Eventually ended up selling real estate and owning his own agency.  He became was quite successful and was truly a self-made man.

I will always be grateful to my stepfather because he gave my mother a wonder gift.  He married her and gave her a second life.  She wasn't struggling after my father passed or anything like that.  When she my father was alive, he gave her the opportunity to have a family, finish college and start her career.  When she married my stepfather after my dad died, he was able to give her a second life with a comfortable life style and traveling around the world.  He made her happy the rest of his life.

This picture is a caricature of him at his post of the 'Cliffs Victory'.  It was drawn by a friend of his.  At the time he smoked a lot (he later quit) and read a lot.  Yes, he was that tall and lanky.

The End

[jsharr ★]

That is a wonderful story that did not start off wonderful. Thank you for sharing it with us.

[maddmaxx ★]

Thank you for your story.

It appears that not all stepfathers were abusive drunks like mine.

[Mr. Silly]

14 minutes ago, jsharr said:

That is a wonderful story that did not start off wonderful. Thank you for sharing it with us.

You share a little bit about your father a couple days back and that was my inspiration to find that picture.

[Razors Edge ★]

23 minutes ago, Mr. Silly said:

The End

...not so much. He seems to have made an impact on you and others, so that reverberates on and on. Not ending, just being passed down.

And great sketch! Like folks today, but different from folks today. 

[Mr. Silly]

2 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

great sketch! Like folks today, but different from folks today.

I have to catch myself since I often sit like that.

[jsharr ★]

4 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

...not so much. He seems to have made an impact on you and others, so that reverberates on and on. Not ending, just being passed down.

And great sketch! Like folks today, but different from folks today. 

Maybe photoshop in an iPhone and a vape pen? 

[shootingstar]

19 minutes ago, Mr. Silly said:

I have to catch myself since I often sit like that.

For sure, you want to have good neck and back posture into later years of life!

And the benefit of father raised well by stepfather....is you, being best of you.

[shootingstar]

31 minutes ago, maddmaxx said:

Thank you for your story.

It appears that not all stepfathers were abusive drunks like mine.

But you somehow surmounted that....it must have been your mother, the better influencer.

It was for dearie, his stepfather was totally opposite of birth father. Stepfather was dictatorial, occasionally abusive (throwing things at mother) etc.  It was his mother who was the positive influencer in her gentle way.

[Kzoo]

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Razors Edge ★]

16 minutes ago, jsharr said:

Maybe photoshop in an iPhone and a vape pen? 

BT headphones instead of the "hi-fi" and wired ones!  And one Kindle replaces all those books!

[Kirby]

I like a story that ends happily.  And my mother would not have nice things to say about your stepfather's Dad.

[maddmaxx ★]

1 hour ago, shootingstar said:

But you somehow surmounted that....it must have been your mother, the better influencer.

It was for dearie, his stepfather was totally opposite of birth father. Stepfather was dictatorial, occasionally abusive (throwing things at mother) etc.  It was his mother who was the positive influencer in her gentle way.

I left his presence for service in the navy.  They gave me a job, a different sort of education that would work for me later in life and an opportunity to meet and interact with all sorts of people that I wouldn't have met otherwise.  In that regard, driving me away from the family was a positive gain for me. 

He destroyed my step brother, his son.