[by Samara]
The year I turned 18, I moved to Johnson City to attend ETSU. That was the same year that Dad opened Video Trading Company on Roan Street. I was a difficult teenager. I was strong willed and always wanted to be with my friends. Dad and I didn't see each other that much for about 6 years after he split with Mom. But when we both ended up in JC, that changed. We started having dinner and getting to know each other again. At first, I was worried it would be awkward or difficult. And it was sometimes—mostly because I was making irresponsible mistakes and Dad didn't bite his tongue. But we quickly fell back into a familiar groove. At age 19, I got a job at Bennigan's. And when Beth became my roommate a couple years later, she started working there. It was a "family restaurant" that was best known for $5 bottomless beer Wednesdays, Thursday night shooter girls, and epic Halloween tent parties. Dad hated the food there and he wasn't much of a drinker, but he quickly became a regular. He stopped in about once a week for a Rolling Rock. I honestly don't know if Dad drank much alcohol before that. He was always more of a toker. Regardless, he would round up a friend and come sit in my section about once a week. In hindsight, I think he just liked being close to us. Like, physically near us. He loved being in the same room, watching his daughters work hard. He was proud of us, even at that ridiculously messy time of our lives. We were happy to see him when he came in. We enjoyed getting to know him better and meeting his friends. Our friends all thought he was cool and, over the years, they got to know him really well. He loved that they referred to him as "Samara's dad" or "Beth's dad." Beth and I formed a core circle of friends during those years. We had a weird and wild time. Dad wanted us to avoid the same mistakes he had made, and he never let us forget that. But he also took the time to get to know our friends. He built real relationships with them. I'm grateful for that. Dad was a regular at Bennigan's. And our backyard cookouts. He let us bring our friends to his house to hang. Our friends always thought he was cool, but he didn't like being the center of attention. He was a proud observer. My best friends knew him well. They grieved with me when he passed. He was a dad to them, too. Their kids knew him as Poppa Les. Dad cried when those kids were born. He wasn't great with names but he always wanted to see photos and hear "what's new with this one, what's new with that one." He loved coming to birthday parties and watching them grow. Overall, Dad loved seeing love between his people. We have always been lucky to have a large, close family with many dear friends. In hindsight, I see how happy that must've made him.
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