Birthright
Jan 1 2024
It was an article of faith
we didn’t pay to park.
My stubborn father
would drive for blocks
to find a free spot.
Circle the neighbourhood
as I kept watch.
Pounce on empty slots
with metered time
still on the clock.
The long walk back
was simply the cost
of a dollar saved.
And an actual parking garage?
Perhaps when royalty came to visit
or my mother shot him that glare!
Which is how it goes in families;
habits good and bad
passed from parent to child.
My birthright
was frugality.
I learned, by exposure
that car ownership
includes a place to park
free of charge.
The reward is not material.
It's more about winning;
as if free parking
was a competitive sport,
the thrill of victory
a reward in itself.
And an homage
to a long departed dad,
looking down on his boy
with fatherly pride.
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