Video Trek III: The Search For Dad - Part 3...

A quick SitRep before we continue:

4 interviews completed, 12 more to go.
Nothing has been edited as yet, but footage is being noted and logged.
15% of required pictures have been scanned and edited.
Research at 92%
Script at 80%

28.35 days remain.

Status: On track for delivery.
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Went by Dad's office yesterday to conduct four interviews with some of his co-workers. Ever have one of those feelings where you think you know someone but in fact, you don't know near what you thought you did?

Welcome to yesterday afternoon.

I began with Subject A, who long ago had been one of Dad's students. I think out of all of my subjects yesterday, A was by far the most emotional about my dad leaving. Dad had been his mentor, the one who A still turned to occasionally for advice in life matters or issues facing his professional career.

He gave a very sweet, sincere farewell to Dad and I was touched by his sentiment. Good start.

Next was Subject B, who worked the closest with Dad in recent years. They are good friends, of a fashion. It's funny to hear my Dad's version of stories versus the version that B tells. For example, I joked a little with B about them. Here is an excerpt:

Me: To hear Dad tell it, it was fun when you guys went to that conference. He was telling me about what ya'll did...

B: Eh? Oh, yeah, I suppose. He was in bed by 9:30 PM and I sat there watching TV both nights we were there. You must be thinking of the ******** conference when he stayed up until 10 PM working over some notes and I read a book. *laughs*

Wild and crazy guys, no? What B said though on camera was very flowing, sincere and highly complimentary. Overall, a good interview.

Off camera, he told me that he was a bit worried about what my dad would do in his retirement. Somehow he didn't think that Dad would be satisfied with just messing around in his wood shop all day. "Man's got a strong, honest mind and knows how to get something done and done right. He has a passion for teaching and for his work and I just hope that he finds something that will fill the void and keep him busy."

In some ways, I could see his point. Dad's CV alone spans 11 pages. In very tiny print. He's been busy all his career and it seemed that he never did anything half-assed.

I will say that Dad's earned his retirement two hundred-fold and then some. If he's happy tinkering around in his woodshed for the rest of his life, that is more than good enough for me. Dad deserves to be happy doing whatever it is that he wants to do in life.

Overall, B was a good interview. I may edit him a little bit, but otherwise his info was golden.

Next was Subject C, who had worked with Dad on his last major project. This one was a real short interview because it started off with a fishing expedition. I had no clue who this fella was and I didn't want to waste a ton of his time. I asked a couple questions to feel where he fell on the timeline, decided to abandon that and just ask about the project before having him wish my Dad farewell. Quick and/or dirty.

Then we move along to our final interview, Subject D. D starts out by making this really familiar facial expression that I've seen on Dad's face a million times. Obviously, D's seen this expression almost as often as I had growing up. I kind of laugh nervously. "Well," he says in a serious voice that is somewhat eerily familiar, "Shall we begin?"

I start the interview. D gives a collection of answers that are highly complimentary, yet informative all the same. Things seem to flow until he starts talking about how unappreciated my Dad and his colleagues in his department were for all there hard work.

Good start but a bit of an awkward finish I thought. I figured I'd have to edit this guy fairly carefully. I thanked him for his time and turned the camera off. Just as I shifted to get out of my chair, D asked, "Ok, now that the camera's off, do you mind if we go off record for a bit and we can chat for awhile?"

I was a little surprised. "Umm, sure," I replied as I sank back into the chair, "what would you like to talk about?"

"Well," D replied, "I only gave you half of the story. The half that everyone pretty much wants to hear in your video. Would you like to hear the rest?"

What followed was a very honest look from his point of view at my father both as a leader and as a person. He spoke about my dad's personality and character and how if it wasn't for someone like that leading the charge, the program would never have achieved the recognition that it has now. He cast a few stones at a few people who were quick to snatch up the credit for all of Dad's team's hard work even though they did little to contribute to it.

He followed up with some honest criticism about my dad's leadership techniques, saying that he was always business and kept people on task. Wasn't one to waste a lot of time and could be a bit brusque at times when he was dead set on something that he believed was the right thing to do.

Then D concluded with a tale of regret that he didn't even know who I really was. "I knew your Dad had kids and grandkids, but he rarely talks 'bout them. He's a private man."

That's when it hit me. I suddenly felt like an intruder for the first time so far.

It's not like I really believed that I was invading my dad's privacy by secretly talking with his colleagues, but I couldn't deny that I felt, well, pretty damned nosy at this point. It's odd now to think that. He is my dad after all. I'm doing this for... Well, I'm doing it for him. Plain and simple.

A funny notion crossed my mind. After I thanked D for his time and made my way back to my truck, I was reminded of Alice as she stood there and debated whether to see how far this particular rabbit hole went.

If only I knew...