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1、 A good heart to lean on When I was growing up, I was embarrassed to be seen with my father. He was severely crippled and very short, and when we walked together, his hand on my arm for balance, people would stare. I would inwardly struggle at the unwanted attention. If he ever noticed or was bother

2、ed, he never let on. It was difficult to coordinate our stepshis halting, mine impatientand because of that, we didnt say much as we went along. But as we started out, he always said, “You set the pace. I will try to adjust to you.“Our usual walk was to or from the subway on which he traveled to wor

3、k. He went to work sick, and despite nasty weather. He almost never missed a day, and would make it to the office even if others could not. It was a matter of pride. When snow or ice was on the ground, it was impossible for him to walk, even with help. At such times my sisters or I would pull him th

4、rough the streets of Brooklyn, N.Y., on a childs wagon with steel runners to the subway entrance. Once there, he would cling to the handrail until he reached the lower steps that the warmer tunnel air kept free of ice. In Manhattan the subway station was in the basement of his office building, and h

5、e would not have to go outside again until we met him in Brooklyn on his way home. When I think of it now, I am amazed at how much courage it must have taken for a grown man to subject himself to such shame and stress. And at how he did itwithout bitterness or complaint. He never talked about himsel

6、f as an object of pity, nor did he show any envy of the more fortunate or able. What he looked for in others was a “good heart“, and if he found one, the owner was good enough for him. Now that I am older, I believe that is a proper standard by which to judge people, even though I still dont know pr

7、ecisely what a “good heart“ is. But I know at times I dont have one myself. Unable to engage in many activities, my father still tried to participate in some way. When a local baseball team found itself without a manager, he kept it going. He was a knowledgeable baseball fan and often took me to Ebb

8、ets Field to see the Brooklyn Dodgers play. He liked to go to dances and parties, where he could have a good time just sitting and watching. On one occasion a fight broke out at a beach party, with everyone punching and shoving. He wasnt content to sit and watch, but he couldnt stand unaided on the

9、soft sand. In frustration he began to shout, “Ill fight anyone who will sit down with me! Ill fight anyone who will sit down with me!“Nobody did. But the next day people kidded him by saying it was the first time any fighter was urged to take a dive before the fight began. I now know he participated

10、 in some things through me, his only son. When I played ball (poorly), he “played“ too. When I joined the Navy, he “joined“ too. And when I came home on leave, he saw to it that I visited his office. Introducing me, he was really saying, “This is my son, but it is also me, and I could have done this

11、, too, if things had been different.“ Those words were never said aloud. He has been gone many years now, but I think of him often. I wonder if he sensed my reluctance to be seen with him during our walks. If he did, I am sorry I never told him how sorry I was, how unworthy I was, how I regretted it

12、. I think of him when I complain about trifles, when I am envious of anothers good fortune, when I dont have a “good heart“.At such times I put my hand on his arm to regain my balance, and say, “You set the pace. I will try to adjust to you.“Phrases and Expressions |lean on |depend on |依靠 | |They le

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