About 18 months ago or so, I made mention of my Dad's brain surgery. While things went well... any time you start taking a scalpel to brain matter, you generally end up with a long road to complete recovery.
The past few months have been particularly hard on Dad. I won't go into details, but will mention that they have had him on medication that has left him incredibly tried and often struggling to get his thoughts in order. For him, that last bit has been a real trial.
This past Saturday, we went to visit, and took him out to see the local fireworks display at my old home town's Community Days. Dad was - almost literally - a new man. Still not back to 100%, but very, very obviously doing better. Walked around, talked to some folks, and generally was more like his old self than I've seen him in a long time.
Now, Dad's on the borough Council. He was president for a few years, in fact, when his party (call them Party A) was in the majority on council. Things change, and while he's still on the council, Party B is now in the majority.
So I was kind of surprised that while we were there, waiting for the fireworks to start, he stopped by to talk to the folks manning the booth for Party B.
I kidded him about getting in trouble for talking to them, and he said, "You know, I tried to resign from the council last week."
"You had said you were going to if you weren't feeling better. Didn't they let you?"
"No. They talked me out of it."
"Why? They didn't want to have a special election or something?"
"No. (Party B) would have gotten to appoint somebody."
"So (Party A) talked you out of it?"
Dad stopped and looked at me. "No. (Party B) did."
"Wait a minute. They passed up the opportunity to appoint another (Party B) guy to council in order to keep you around?"
Dad just shrugged. "Yep."
Dang.
I mean... I love him. He's my Dad. I think the world of him, despite his faults and failings (just as he loves me, despite mine.)
But when your opponents would rather have you around than someone they agree with? Man. That is a special kind of awesome.
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