re: Anyone worked with their dad growing up?

Dad was a small scale Sugar Cane farmer. He was cheap as hell and would use what he could afford. During Christmas Break when I was in Junior high and highschool, during harvest/“grinding”, I would have to get on the 4x4 tractor and push out the loaded wagons. Of course it had no cab. And in December it rains, and is 35 degrees. And I’d rather be sleeping at 6 am when I’m 15 on my school break. The reason I’m not a farmer today for a living is because of those moments. But my old man taught me a lot and he left this world 15 years ago this month. Love you Pop, and miss you dearly. Happy Father’s Day to you and all the dads out there!

I’d love one more fishing trip with my dad. He died in Jan 2020. 67 was too young.

I did. My Dad bought a service station when i was still in Jr High. I'd ride to/from work w him 6 days a week (he'd pick me up after school until I could drive). I learned how to change tires on a Coates 20/20 machine (mind your fingers), plug tires, do oil changes, etc. Everyday when I got there I cleaned the bathrooms. That's where I learned that anything and everything can be washed off.

I learned how to treat people, customers with kindness and respect. I learned how to work hard for hours at a time and to tolerate working in the heat of the Southern summers w no AC. But it wasn't all just work. My father and his crew helped me rebuild his 66 Mustang, installing a hot cam and heads (it became my car). My dad campaigned a few different race cars during this time, what a blast. My friends and i would be the pit crew and sneak beers on Saturday nights. 

I learned to work among men. My Dad had a bunch of sailors working for him parttime as we lived near a Navy base. So I learned how to curse appropriately, which still serves me well. Great experience for a kid. 

These days in the suburban lifestyle most of experience, my kids (along with most that I know), haven't had this experience we are all relating today. What a shame. 

Working with my old man looking back is probably the happiest times in my life. Learned everything I needed to know from him. I'm lucky to still have him around.

Tried holding a flashlight, does that count?

Yep. All through jr high, high school, and college worked weekends and summers on the farm he managed and his smaller personal farm. Then after college worked full time for them till I was 26 or 27.

Left after that to go manage another farm and start my own little thing about 7 years ago.

Had big plans for him to eventually come help me grow my farm and kind of wind down his career, but he had a stroke and is handicapped now (weak right side and aphasia). Still, we make the best of it. I pick him up almost every Friday and he comes to work with me for 5 or 6 hours.

My dad had an independent Falstaff distributorship, I had to haul cases of beer during Christmas break and summers in HS and college. He taught me how to operate a fork lift, I was loading the trucks at the end of the day as well...

We served some interesting places down the river...

Yep. Brutal