Every girl’s crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man! (ZZ Top)

Well, for me, that guy was my dad!  Marines are well known for their precision in all things, and appearance was definitely one of them!  My Marine Corps dad had the sharpest crease in his uniform trousers.  How sharp you say?  Enough you could have cut bread with them. 

Okay, so maybe I’m prone to hyperbole!  But I do remember as a kid being in awe of how he looked when all decked out in his uniform or dress blues.  He was, and always will be, my hero.

He was a father of three daughters (and one son) but he always told us girls we could do anything the guys could do.   So we all learned to change tires, install drywall, check the oil in our cars, move heavy equipment and mow yards.

He also inspired me to see how wearing the right clothing for the right occasion was important.  When he wore his dress blues, his presence commanded respect.  I think back that this was where I learned how important it was to be sure:  your shoes are polished, your clothes are clean and pressed, look ‘em in the eye and to have a posture that exudes confidence.  Yup, got that from my old man!  Now, sense of style?  Not from him!  Civilian style still befuddles him.  But even to this day, he puts on his Marine uniform (and, yes, he can still wear it) he still makes me stand a little taller and feel empowered when I’m dressed properly for the right occasion.

In honor of the upcoming Father’s Day celebration, I’m not sending a tie, bottle of scotch, or any other of the usual Father’s day suspects for a gift.  Nope, I’m honoring my dad the best way I know and that’s with a donation to ACDN.  The sharp dressed man in your life will appreciate being remembered in the same way.  So, in honor of your GQ dad, make a donation to ACDN so another little girl will look up at her dad with the stars in her eyes and think her dad looks like a million bucks as he dresses for his interview or new job.  Happy Father’s Day!

by Marianne C. Jones, Business Manager at College of Human Environmental Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia and Board Treasurer, ACDN