Memory Lane Throwbacks: Halloween and My Dad's Birthday

This is what I like about photographs.
They're proof that once, even if just for a heartbeat, everything was perfect.*
Jodi Picoult

by Skip Cohen
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When Throwback Thursday and Halloween collide, the topic choice is obvious - my Dad's birthday. The poor guy was born on Halloween, and growing up, he rarely had a birthday cake without the doorbell ringing, or his kids headed out the door to trick or treat. What's so ironic is that when I was a kid, Dad was in the wholesale candy and tobacco business. I had a whole warehouse full of candy to choose from...but nothing was as good as what you got to "hunt" for yourself!

Dad passed away at 93, nine years ago, but the longer he's gone, the sweeter the memories to cherish have become. Minimal tears, just smiles and appreciation for him being in my life. He was my best buddy, and those last few years, living only six miles away, gave us quality time to be together.

We moved to Florida to give him a hand with my mother's Alzheimer's, and it's one of the best things I've ever done. Plus, Sheila was able to get to know both my folks. As tough as Alzheimer's was, there were still so many incredible moments when Mom would come back to us, and we'd often laugh until we cried - one of Dad's traits when something hit him funny. 

However, it's Halloween, and I went digging through some old photographs. I found a shot of me and my sister on Halloween. I was eight and wanted to be a "spaceman" that year. Searching through another album, I found a shot of Dad (on the left) with his brother at about the same age. The fun of Throwback Thursday is always in the hunt—I never know what I'm going to find.

Gray Drug at the local shopping center carried a full inventory of costumes this time of year. They were $2-$5.00, and according to Reader's Digest, the most popular costumes over the mid-fifties were Davy Crockett, Batman, Frankenstein, and Zorro. I'm not sure why I wanted to be a spaceman!

Happy Throwback Thursday! If you haven't already gone off in search of old photographs, take the time now. All those old photos help remind us of the amazing industry we're a part of. We help the world capture memories and make them tangible. 

And to my Dad—Happy Birthday! I miss you, Pop, but I've got so many great memories and a lifetime of appreciation for your support, guidance, and never-ending sense of humor—except for that one time when I got Grandpa's new Oldsmobile stuck in the mud in Leroy! LOL, but that's another story and post!

* I keep promising not to share this quote again, but I've never found a better one that really hits on the wonder of photography!