Merry Death

My Dad's Beard

My father has been attending a seminar at Millenum3. Its a "happy place" as I like to call it that is popular in Houston. There are a few other centers, the biggest being in Raleigh. My sister was persuaded to attending the first installment of classes about 5 months ago. She came out all happy and positive and wide eyed. I kept joking that she took a ride on the happy bus.
After her, my step-mother, her daughter, and my sister's step daughter all took turns going to these courses and being enlightened. They all came out with a new outlook on life and happiness all around them. My father, being so impressed with my stepmother's new attitude, reluctantly went.
When he got home two weeks ago after his first week of courses ($500 and 4 entire days), he was a new man. He told me all about how he found himself and how he was closed off emotionally. He said he was cheating his boss and his family out of a real man. Blah blah blah. Really, it was good. He was happy.
Now he has gone back for the second installment ($1500). It is a full 5 days from 11am to 11pm. He emailed me 2 days ago. All it read was "The New Me" in the subject line. He had shaved his beard. He has had it since 1989. He looked like a college professor. I am scared of what he might look like now. Its gonna be creepy. Not only because of the face, but because of the shit eating grin and excessive mushiness that is inevitably to follow.
I am bracing for more hugs and tears from my dad that I have experienced in a lifetime.

posted by Metalmeredith @ 6:37 PM