“This is a picture of my Dad and I before a Rush concert in Philly last October. While this doesn't capture the entire depth of our relationship over the years - it does capture a big part of it. It might just look like a picture of two friends at first, but it's so much more than that.
My Dad took me to my first Rush concert when I was in 10th grade and I didn't know anyone else that would go. He made me a deal - that if I was able to save the money for the tickets, he'd take me. I may not have known it then - but even at that time he was teaching me some valuable lessons about life. I did save the money, and my Dad took me to that concert in Philly to see Rush live for the first time. They became my favorite band - and I've seen Rush over 20 times now, almost all of which my Dad has accompanied me to. In fact - we are going to see them in June in Hershey - it's his Father's Day gift!
There's more to the story actually - my Dad didn't just take me to my first Rush concert. He introduced me to music. At an early age he exposed me to some of his favorite bands like Pink Floyd, Bad Company, Styx, Neil Diamond, Aerosmith, etc. For my sixteenth birthday - he bought me a CD player - which was a new thing at the time. The other part of the gift was that her purchased 20 CDs - all of his favorite bands, and hid them around the house. He said - "you can keep the ones you find, the rest are mine!"
He also took me to see numerous bands over the years - Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, Guns n' Roses, Rush, Bad Company, Styx, Kansas, to name a few. He always offered to take my friends and me to concerts in high school, whether he liked the bands or not. In fact - to this day, I have friends reminisce about the times we went to concerts with my Dad. They'll say "Remember that time we went to see Pink Floyd and your Dad…" The stories seem endless.
I think this had a huge impact in my life - seeing as though I pursued a career in music, and was able to play as a full time musician and tour for 10 years with the band Negative Space. My Dad was always my biggest fan, making sure I always kept reaching for the stars. He came to every show he could, and was there cheering in the crowd and singing along.
So at first glance - the picture looks like two good friends going to a concert, but it was just my Dad being my Dad all those years. Teaching me lessons, introducing me to new things, supporting my dreams, and having fun all along the way. Come to think of it I guess that's exactly what a best friend should be, and exactly what a Dad should be to his son. This last picture is my Dad as the best man at my wedding. I thought that also summed up my relationship with him - he's been the 'best man' I know my whole life.“
submitted by reader Mark Reinmiller
