BEAVERCREEK, OH—Stressing he did not need anything fancy, local laid-back dad Mark McNaren told his family Friday that he just wanted a new pair of the brandless aviators he got at an Omaha gas station back in 1993 for Father’s Day. “You know, what I’d really love is a pair of those shades we got at that filling station on the way to visit your uncle,” said McNaren to his family, fondly recalling how the wholly generic piece of eyewear he bought 27 years ago for $6.99 fit perfectly and had a “really classic look.” “I used to wear those all the time until I lost them when we were at that water park. Does that gas station have a website? Maybe you can order them online.” McNaren added that, aside from the glasses, the only other thing he would want was another one of those shirts he got in 2002 for participating in a charity 5K walk.
I don’t have kids. I have a niece who’s 14 now.
When she was 3, she asked if I wanted a bracelet. I eould have been 30 at the time, and I’m a guy. But my niece was asking me if I wanted a bracelet, so I said yes.
She pulls out these pink pipe cleaner twisty ties for arts and crafts. Then she put some beads on it.
She had a method. I have no idea what the method was, but she was like “first this one, and then this one”.
She was describing what each bead meant, and why they were in that exact order. I wore the bracelet all day. And when I got home, I put it on my doorknob. I’ve moved since then, so it’s a different doorknob, but it’s still on my doorknob to this day.