The plaque reads:
DAN COHEN TROPHY
ORPHAN SHOW
4-22-32
E. VINCE
Momma always displayed this trophy in the "front room"...She often feigned indifference to dad's passions - like boxing, and the horses...but she was proud of him!
The trophy is old, even when I was a kid - it was a time-worn bronze and pewter. Momma decided to "spruce" it up with some silver paint and gold leaf. I tried to have it restored, but the cost was prohibitive. It remains today in my home, just the way Momma painted it...
When Daddy died, it was one of the few memoirs I coveted of him...
One of Daddy's stories about his "glory days" is how he got the name "Hard Times". In his twenties, he boxed as a bantam weight prize fighter. One night, he was getting pounded - taking a lot of fists to his face. He had a "following" of young women, (yep, Ole Blue Eyes was a player back in the day!). One of the gals was crying, and in between sobs, was pleading "Stop hitting his beautiful face"! In response to her torment, a man in the crowd comforted her with a nod and yelled: "He's having hard times..."
It fascinates me how that mundane moment in time became my father's prophetic destiny for the next 50 years...
Kathy -
ReplyDeleteI am feeling so emotional. Your post on dad has touched me so deeply. What I would give to have just fifteen more minutes with him, sitting at the kitchen table, and REALLY listening to the stories he told so well. In his day, he would definitely have been considered an icon - not to mention a "really cool dude". Thank you, Kathy, for giving him the recognition and telling his amazing story. Dad owned his life. To this day, he was such a contradiction. I never could quite tell what was really going on in his head. Yes, he was worn and tattered, but he held his head high and exuded confidence with every step he took.
I adored him with unconditional love, as I know you did too.
Joanie
Kathy, this is amazing what you are doing here with his memory. I love family history! This is amazing-- to think, this is MY legacy, too, through Brooks! This is Luka and Marcel's great-granddaddy! How wonderful. Love it!!
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