Arm Wrestling with my Father
English 111
17 September 2013
Journal 5: “Arm Wrestling with My Father” Brad Manning always lost the arm wrestling matches against his father when he was young. Their communication was mainly physical. His father never showed up at his musical concerts, helped him with school work, or wrote him letters or cards, but he always critical of him at his sporting events. His dad showed the love for his son through hand-shakes and pats on the back instead of hugs. The word love was never spoken between them.
As Brad grew older and more mature, he realized that his father was not as strong as he once was. The competition between them wasn’t there as much either. Once, during an exam break, he came home and arm wrestled again with his dad. During the match, when Brad realized he was about to beat his father, he learned that their relationship was changing. Brad wanted things to stay the same as when he was small; however, as things happen, he was growing, his father was getting older, and time couldn’t stand still.
At the end of the story as he goes back to college his father hugs him. Brad realized that his father was using this as a totally different way of saying, “I love you.”
I feel like this story was written about my dad and me. Identical to their relationship, my dad and I have a physical relationship. We wrestle, play basketball, fish, hunt, and hang out together. He was the one who taught me how to ride a bike, to shoot a gun, to drive a car. My dad says “I love you” on occasion, but usually, only if I say it first. Unlike Brad though, my dad has always been supportive in whatever I have done, even if it isn’t sports related. He comes to my guitar concerts and my church plays. Whatever I’m doing, I can count on him to be there.
I love my dad and even though I didn’t always feel his love, I now know that his love is just as strong as my mother’s, but it’s just different. I also know that our relationship will one day change as Brad and his father’s
17 September 2013
Journal 5: “Arm Wrestling with My Father” Brad Manning always lost the arm wrestling matches against his father when he was young. Their communication was mainly physical. His father never showed up at his musical concerts, helped him with school work, or wrote him letters or cards, but he always critical of him at his sporting events. His dad showed the love for his son through hand-shakes and pats on the back instead of hugs. The word love was never spoken between them.
As Brad grew older and more mature, he realized that his father was not as strong as he once was. The competition between them wasn’t there as much either. Once, during an exam break, he came home and arm wrestled again with his dad. During the match, when Brad realized he was about to beat his father, he learned that their relationship was changing. Brad wanted things to stay the same as when he was small; however, as things happen, he was growing, his father was getting older, and time couldn’t stand still.
At the end of the story as he goes back to college his father hugs him. Brad realized that his father was using this as a totally different way of saying, “I love you.”
I feel like this story was written about my dad and me. Identical to their relationship, my dad and I have a physical relationship. We wrestle, play basketball, fish, hunt, and hang out together. He was the one who taught me how to ride a bike, to shoot a gun, to drive a car. My dad says “I love you” on occasion, but usually, only if I say it first. Unlike Brad though, my dad has always been supportive in whatever I have done, even if it isn’t sports related. He comes to my guitar concerts and my church plays. Whatever I’m doing, I can count on him to be there.
I love my dad and even though I didn’t always feel his love, I now know that his love is just as strong as my mother’s, but it’s just different. I also know that our relationship will one day change as Brad and his father’s