“reculer pour mieux sauter”
(to draw back in order to make a better jump)
– My Dad (quoting a well used French phrase)
__________
“Come and see us, Poppa, when you can
There’ll always be a place for my old man
Just drop by when it’s convenient to
Be sure and call before you do
So long Dad”
– Randy Newman, So Long Dad
__________
Today would have been my dad’s 80th birthday.
I have very little written in his own hand.
One exception is a scrap of paper.
Handwritten, a phrase in french:
“reculer pour mieux”
A rough English translation:
It is better to withdraw before the jump.
There is evidence the phrase has been used in a military context, to make a strategic withdrawal to better attack another time.
I don’t remember why dad chose to write this down, whether it was shared with me, or if I found it among his personal effects.
But it feels like it was written for me.
I have spent a lifetime withdrawing.
I have ignored my creative urges and pulled back from stepping forward, with pen in hand, to write.
Since 1st January 2024, however, I have been jumping forward every day, on this blog.
I see no reason to stop.
Thanks for the wisdom dad.
I’m sorry you never got to see me deploy the jump.
So Long.
Your work is never done.
Love,
Your Son.
Conversations With Quotations 