My dad had a camp shirt with fish on it. He only wore it once a year, when we went on vacation to Wildwood, NJ.

My dad was 51 when I was born. I have often wondered if that is what made him such a great dad. Perhaps by the time I was born, he had done all the things that distracted many of us from being the perfect father. He worked in a plant that made airplane parts. It was one of those secure jobs that were around in the 50s and 60s. I don't think he made much money, but I never remember wanting for much. I do remember those times when we had to "cut back" when he was temporarily laid off.  Those times were few and far between and we always got through without too much of a problem, at least that I was aware of. He also did odd jobs around our neighborhood. He could fix just about anything or if you needed your house painted, he was your man.

Once a year my dad took my mother and me to Wildwood, NJ for a week. This was in the 50s and early 60s.  It was the event of the year in my house. Dad would ask my mom more than a few times if she had packed his "fish shirt.”

We always stayed in the same place; it was an old hotel about 3 blocks from the beach. We had a small room with twin beds for my mom and dad and a cot for me. The bathroom was down the hall and was shared by half of the guests on the floor that we were on. The other end of the same floor had a bathroom for the guests on that side of the hotel. The name of the hotel was "The Elbron.” It was clean and the owners were very nice. I remember the big wooden benches hanging from chains on the huge front porch. You could sit on those swinging benches and swing gently while watching people walk by. The hotel served two family-style meals a day; breakfast and dinner. Lunch was usually a hot dog on the beach. 

Our arrival at The Elbron was the same every year. We would pull into the parking lot and my mother would tell my dad that he had to bring the bags up to the room before anything else. He would tell her that he and Pal (that was me) had to go look at the ocean first. She would complain but to no avail. He and I would walk up to the boardwalk to sit on a bench and look at the ocean while Mom sat on one of those big swings on the porch. After a while, he would always say, "I think we have time for one round of miniature golf but don't tell your mother.” When we got back to the hotel she would always say, "You played golf, didn't you.” I would look up at him and see a 60-year-old man who looked like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. My mom would just shake her head and we would all laugh. The week that we spent in Wildwood every year was always great. We would walk the boards, go on rides, play games, and sit on those swings after dinner.

Well, now I am at the age that my dad was when I was 12 and I am feeling a little nostalgic, so I just made reservations to spend a few days in Wildwood. I am sure that it has changed a lot, but so have I. The Elbron is gone and so are my Mom and Dad, but I am sure the ocean is still there and when I get there I will sit on a bench and look at it. I might even play a game of miniature golf. 

Tomorrow, I think I will go shopping for a shirt with fish on it.