Phoblography: Family

Mi Padre

I had no recollection of this picture before scanning it for this post. It is a great shot of my dad and me, nonetheless. I believe I was three here, so my dad would have been 23. He is also my namesake (or I'm his, I don't remember how that works): I'm Dennis Jr. After years of rejecting the idea, I recently decided that there will be a Dennis III. We'll have to call him "Tres" or something, two Dennises is confusing enough.

I was extremely afraid of the water as a child and still don't know how to swim. My dad had a great way of making you feel completely safe when he held you, which explains my happiness. He was also very playful, however, so chances are I would have been dunked and bawling soon after this picture was taken.

My dad is the source of my renaissance-manliness. He's a great businessman, athlete, and artist. My spurts of business sense and athletic prowess come from him. He was an entrepreneur and engaged in a variety of business ventures in my childhood. Being a great provider was always his strong suit. He played football and basketball very well, and can probably still outrun me running backwards. My intelligence and creativity also come from him.

My dad is an odd combination of workaholic and party animal, something else I inherited although both in more moderation. He's an all around cool guy and is very dedicated to his friends, as am I. The only thing I didn't inherit was his skill as a ladies man, that went to my brothers. Although I was a carbon copy of my mother for most of my young life, I look more like my father every year. Between the two of them, I have a great shot at looking twenty something well into my forties.