Dad continued, 'Son, you are out of school now, and it is time for you to be on your own. There are too many mouths here to feed, and our house is just too small. My health is gone, and just trying to get along with your mother takes about everything I can muster. When I was your age I was already on my own. My old man, your granddad who died of diabetes before you were born, threw me out one day, and I headed for Alaska, figuring, why not? It was ten years before I met and married your mother and started to have all you kids. It's a tough world out there, but you gotta figure out how to make it on your own or you won't be worth a shit. You gotta hit the road a runnin' and never look back. I know you have some money saved from your summer jobs. You will need every penny of it, and then some. Remember the advice I gave you many years ago-keep some green in each shoe along with your driver's license. It can make the difference between rough times, jail, or even worse.' Sometime in the intervening years he had his front teeth knocked out in a brawl and wore a bridge ever since. Awkwardly, we stood, neither knowing for sure what else to say. I knew this was coming so it was no big surprise. Still, it was a bit of a shock. He came over, and for the first time in as long as I could remember, probably since before I was a child, he put his arms around me, giving me a brief hug. As he stepped back, I could see tears in his eyes. He went on to tell me to always keep the wind at my back and once in a while a look over my shoulder. And, don't be afraid to lend a helping hand when you see it's needed. He shook my hand, turned, and went back into the house. It was the last time I ever saw him.