My father, the Ultra Marathoner

     As you may know, I recently lost the most important man in my life, my father.  Since the worldwide average expectancy of a male on this planet Earth is 65 years, that means that my father, Clabon Eugene Pleasant, Sr, who lived to be 88 has completed the equivalent an ultra marathon as far as human age is concerned.  Most of my friends when I was growing up, grandparents were around the same age or younger than he was since he fathered me at the age of 43.  Here are some things to put in perspective the time era he experienced:  He lived through the Great Depression, saw World War II (and served in it - What a funny coincidence that his birth date is on veterans day, November 11).  He was around before televisions or computers were invented.    He endured the periods during the twentieth century which when being a black man did not exactly grant you liberty and justice for all. Along the way, he raised seven children and partly raised several other grandchildren while working for the U.S. Postal Service for as long as I can remember and sometimes worked other half jobs that he picked up along the way to support the family.  He provided the opportunity for his offspring to attend fine universities.  He was heavily involved with the church which he had an integral part in building.  And I'm sure there are a lot of other things that I left out.  I am told to be a carbon copy of him and I couldn't receive a better compliment. He led more by example and was somewhat soft spoken, attributes that people tell me that I took from him.  I'm half his age now so I have a long way to go to break his P.R.  I know he is happy now at rest and ready to claim his finishers medal.  As his namesake, I hope to have at least half the quality of life that he had.

-TNT-

In loving memory of Clabon E Pleasant, Sr. 

November 11, 1924- April 31, 2013