I Wish "Pa" from t.v.'s "Little House On The Prairie" was my Daddy!

Being a young girl who experienced adolescence during

Yep, that's me. 2nd grade
I loved that dress!

the 1970's - I was fed a steady television diet of "ideal families". "The Walton's", "Family" and "The Brady Bunch"-  made my own family seem sadly sub par. My adoptive clan could never measure up to those television families who were idolized and viewed as templates of a perfect clan by all of America. Each show seemed so perfect and wholesome, good and pure.

For my younger self,  the creme de la creme of family television was "Little House on the Prairie."

Except for having to cry about some tragedy every single episode - Laura Ingalls had everything I myself wanted out of life at age 8. She had a really nice, pretty mom. Her older sister Mary looked out for her on the school yard (until Mary went blind). Cute boys aplenty came and went weekly at the schoolhouse/church.  Those young men never tried to pull Laura behind a tree to show his wiener off! This boy and Laura just got to run around wild with each other all day (after chores were completed). That's some fine childhood living! Yet the best was really Laura's daddy, Charles "PA" Ingalls. 

Laura's daddy (whom she called "Pa") was a fine specimen of daddy goodness. Always tan, smooth shaven yet still rugged - nice build for his average height. Hair worn just a bit too long, possibly permed into chocolate waves. A gentle , yet still manly tone to his words, whether praising or scolding his girls. Even when disciplining his children Pa never raised his voice. Verbal admonishing for bad behavior always contained an uplifting lesson at the end. Life lessons that hurt Laura's buck toothed heart so bad seemed to hurt less because of Pa's seemingly natural gift of nurturing his offspring.

Yeah, I had Father Envy pretty bad....my own male parent was not shall we say "gifted" when it came to

Hunky "Pa" Ingalls
MY second grade dream dad!
Nice.........

rearing a daughter.

Adoptive Dad was not the kind of guy who participated in hobbies with his daughter. I believe his point of view was this: as long as he supported me financially - that was love. Leave the raising of females to the "woman folk". My older brother was taken fishing, hunting, to ball games, boy scouts. All the typical activities for young males. Dirt bike riding was a weekly activity for them. Sadly I was never allowed to be a included their fun. Many youngsters on my block had mini bikes. Buzzing around the neighborhood having a ton of fun. Boy I wanted a mini bike! Time after annoying time I begged, pleaded and threw many a crying snot filled fit. Begging annoyingly for my father to teach me to ride or failing that, to be allowed to go on a ride as his passenger.

Dad couldn't be bothered. I suppose for him it was just too dangerous. Or perhaps against his morals of what was acceptable for girls. Whatever his reasons - a mini bike never found its way under the Christmas tree. 

 Laura's dad got her a HORSE for Christmas - not a pony, a full size black mare named Bunny.

Lucky bitch.....

Lesson to Fathers: Give your daughters some attention please. Play tea party or hide and seek - whatever. Or we may end up on a stripper pole with a loser boyfriend. *See my other blog entries for THAT story