The Collection

The fall of 1974 saw 7-year-old Freddy stuck at home for a few weeks due to illness. On this particular Friday Freddy was, as usual, in his room just watching Television and wishing he were out with his friends playing Football when his father came in to see him. " Hi son, How are you feeling today?" he asked just like every day. "Fair to meddling" uttered Freddy in his standard response. He knew that he and his father had very little in common and that he was uncomfortable around him. , Freddy had always been curious and devoured information while his dad could barely read because he had very little formal schooling. Dad was a hard-working man and Freddy had no doubt that he loved him in his own way but the two were polar opposites. Freddy waited for his father to leave but was surprised when he stood there and said: " I have a surprise for you, I stopped on my way home and bought you a present.". Freddy couldn't believe his ears as his dad went out and came back with a huge bag. Opening the bag Freddy found a stack of brand new Comic books, among them were Batman and Superman, of course, but there were others that Freddy had never heard of with names like Hawkman, Quicksilver, Ironman, and Plastic Man. Starting that day and every day that week Dad would come to Freddy's room and sit and read comics with him. This was the first Freddy had seen of Comics and he was instantly a fan and wanted to read more.,the bright colors and visual action was the most thrilling thing he had seen in his entire life.

This simple act would become routine and every Friday Dad would bring Freddy a stack of the latest comics and they would lose themselves in a world where a man could fly and good always triumphed over evil. For a little while they would be partners with Batman, Fighting the Nazis across the European Continent or soaring through the skies with the Blackhawks. For the next eight years, they would drop whatever they were doing in order to read the adventures of their heroes together, Somedays dad would read aloud adding sound effects to the story and putting on a performance. On other occasions, dad would get on the bed and they would read together either taking turns or just reading quietly. Then on Freddy's 15th birthday, he informed his dad that he was too old to read comics with him and he wanted to spend time with his friends. Although he was very reluctant to let go, dad understood he had to let his son go and so he agreed to end the weekly tradition and give Freddy his space.

As all children do Freddy grew up, got a job, moved away from home, and started his own family. For the next few years, his dad and he would see very little of each other but although he never knew why he would from time to time stop by a comic book shop or even once a convention just to see what was new. then came that terrible day when he got a call, his dad had died and he must come home. While inventorying his dad's possessions Freddy found that he had stored away not only his comics but hundreds more. Taped to a box he found a note and for the first time in years he remembered and tears streamed down his face as he read the words his dad had written, "Son, I realize you are too old for comics but I hope one day you realize that the time we spent together was for me as much as for you. you see you and I were very different, at seven you were smarter and had a brighter future than I ever would. I never knew how to connect with you but I desperately wanted too. My father was also very distant so I never really knew to express my love to you. I could never bond through your activities because I could never understand them. When I discovered our mutual love for comics I knew (or hoped) that it was the one thing I could do with you and not feel that we were drifting apart. the day you announced that you would no longer want to continue it broke my heart. I will continue our tradition so I will always feel close to you and when I'm gone I want you to have the books. hopefully, when you read them you will feel some connection between us and remember me fondly and not as the distant man I was. Please remember too how not to be like me Spend time with your children when they are young don't spend all your time at work., Let these books be a reminder to you that I would have given anything to be different and be the kind of man I should have been but it is the only way I knew." the note was dated on his 15th birthday, his dad had kept this a secret, even to his mom for over 15 years but he had never given up on his son.

For the rest of his life, Freddy never forgot, he would continue to add to the collection and would start the tradition with his own children. It was like he had achieved A new understanding of his dad and realized that he had never been "too Old" but only too stubborn to acknowledge his love of comics. Instead of growing up, he had wanted to distance himself from his dad, who he had felt so superior too. He realized he could never make it up to his dad but every time he read a book they would be together for a short time. When reading with his children he Always told them of the time he spent with his dad and the unspoken love the two had shared and the meaning of these little fantasy books.