The American Spectator : My Dad's Wonderful Life 

Text Size

My Dad's Wonderful Life 

By Jeremy Lott on 12.9.10 @ 6:07AM

A story of selfless investment.

There are some people whose absence is more deeply felt than their presence. They don't light the room on fire when they walk into it because they are busy doing something far more vital. Without these people, the room doesn't get built or rented or heated in the first place, and nobody gets invited.

These necessary people quietly make it all happen, not through bureaucratic genius but through collegiality, intelligence, stubbornness, hard work, and vision with a lowercase "v." They constantly put it all on the line so that there can be a line.

This, I think, was the central insight of the Frank Capra Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life. George Bailey may not seem like much, says the director, but think again. Take a good look at the world that would exist had the Bailey Building and Loan president never been born. It is not a nice place.

Critics constantly and lazily remark on the movie's sentimentality and corniness, which only convinces me they aren't paying attention. The movie is dark. Death, suicide, violence, poverty, loss, and sacrifice are major themes. Sure, it has a happy ending, with little Zuzu and an angel getting its wings and all that, but that doesn't seem foreordained.

I'm thinking about It's a Wonderful Life because it's that time of the year again and because, today, my father Bob Lott is 60. Sometimes I think of the old man as George Bailey minus the drama. Bob Lott is a Baptist minister, a father of three, and a man with the knowledge and determination to make things happen -- often at great personal cost.

He wouldn't like me talking out of school too much, but one story I will tell. In the Capra classic, George Bailey and his bride give up their honeymoon money to stop a run on the bank, but at least they had the money. My dad once did something far more reckless. I know because I was on the receiving end.

It was during my family's darkest financial period. Bob Lott had served as a youth pastor in Tacoma, Washington, for about a dozen years. He resigned during my junior year of high school and spent a year-and-a-half doing every awful job under the sun while he looked for a new posting. He sold discount freight and vacuum cleaners and worked at a youth detention center, for instance.

At the time, I had little no idea what to do with my life except for the vague inkling that I might make an OK writer. But for that I needed a computer and nobody in my family had any money for one. My birthday rolled around and my family had scraped together enough money to buy what was technically a computer but practically not usable.

When Dad figured this out, he did something that was, on the face of it, insane. He went to the local Circuit City, slapped a credit card down on the counter, and said, "I need a new computer for my son."

I came home and was completely freaked out by this brand spanking new computer. And I realized that I was going to have to find some way to make this "investment" pay off. When people ask why I became an author, editor, etc., that's the answer.

You expect parents to stick themselves out, at least a bit, for their children, but my example is closer to the rule than the exception of the difference that the old man has made in the lives of his friends and parishioners. I won't tell those stories because he doesn't like to talk about it, and there's only so much embarrassment I'm willing to subject him to on his birthday.

About the Author

Jeremy Lott is editor of RealClearBooks.com and RealClearReligion.org and associate editor of RealClearScience.com.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (19) | Leave a comment

MoeBlotz| 12.9.10 @ 6:59AM

The enduring birthday gift for your dear old dad is your writing. He did a good job as a father.

Alan Brooks| 12.9.10 @ 2:28PM

I like your father better than James Stewart, who was fussy and garrulous.

Alan Brooks| 12.9.10 @ 4:02PM

Stewart, with his folksy, gosh-gee voice, and his Dagwood Bumstead appearance and mugging expression.
Fred MacMurray would have been a far better George Bailey than Stewart.
"George Bailey without the drama", you got that right.

Ken (Old Texican)| 12.9.10 @ 7:42AM

Jeremy,
Thank you for that.

Whew, it spun out a whole series of memories.
"And if your son asks you for a fish, will you give him a serpent? If he asks you for a loaf of bread, will you give him a stone?"

My dad too, went 80 hour weeks to give me a "fish"......then he taught Sunday School on Sundays....and as he studied for class, he gave me the bread.

Eddie| 12.9.10 @ 7:54AM

Jeremy, my Dad will be gone 7 years this coming February. Your article hit home with me and I'm sure for many others. I never took my Dad for granted but I realized after he was gone that he helped mold me into a man and I will be forever grateful for all he did for me over the years. No fanfare or thanks was asked for by him. He was just there and offered his advice when needed. Thank you for this piece. Have a Merry Christmas and a "Wonderful Life" yourself! God Bless!

James D. Pruett | 12.9.10 @ 7:54AM

I understand your feelings completely. My own father was very much the same kind of man: he spent his whole life focused on, first, his family and then on his "neighbors", however and wherever he might encounter them. I wish that I could hold a candle to him.

Mooreman| 12.9.10 @ 8:41AM

Mr. Lott,
Well said. I lost my Dad to cancer in 1988. His father ran the "poor farm" in a small Alabama town during the depression and then became a cobbler to support his family. After serving as a gunner on a B-29 in WWII, Dad came home, got his accounting degree on the GI bill and worked extremely hard to build a manufacturing business. I was extremely blessed to have him for a father.

Your editorial urged me to reflect and also served as an incentive for my actions. Thank you.

Dan Hirsch| 12.9.10 @ 8:43AM

To all you sons and daughters,

Ten days ago we, my mother, brothers and sisters, learned we would be losing our father in a month or so. We know he is going to a far better Place; yet we know we won't see him till we get There. God has been kind to us, giving us an opportunity to be with dad, to tell him we love him, and to thank him for all that he has done for us, whether we liked it or not.

Reach out to your father if you still have him, and thank him, tell him you love him, and how proud you are to be his own. If this is hard for you, remember your part in your difficulty. Do it now, you have some unknown number of days.

Besides, we have been commanded to honor our fathers and mothers.

And please, send us no sympathy, we will continue after we get through this part of Dad's life, but a prayer for him would be nice...toss one in for your Dad, too.

Actorprof| 12.9.10 @ 12:33PM

will do

chuck| 12.9.10 @ 9:32PM

Dan,
I know what you are going through. I just find out my dad has liver cancer, and have no idea how long he has left. There is so much I want and need to tell him, how thankful I am to have him as my father, because he helped me to become the man I am. I just am going to have a tough time getting it out, hell I'm tearing up just typing this out.
I'll pray for your father when I am praying for my own. I can tell that your father is much like mine, and will handle this the same way he lived his life, with grace and dignity, love of family, and much faith.
God Bless you and your family

Chuck

JayPitsby| 12.9.10 @ 9:38AM

It was Zuzu, not "Lulu" who asked about the angel's wings.

Cromulent| 12.9.10 @ 10:17AM

And here I thought Jeremy was related to John Lott.

Ned| 12.9.10 @ 11:20AM

"OLD MAN!" What the hell do you mean "OLD MAN", boy? The guy is a mere 60...! He's not even eligible for Social Insecurity yet, for Pete's sake. Do NOT make me come over there and slap some respect into you!

Occam's Tool| 12.9.10 @ 11:51AM

What a lucky dad to have you for a son.

Rich| 12.9.10 @ 12:26PM

Jeremy: When people read what you wrote they will think Bob is a good dad; and he is. They will think you are a good and respectful son; and you are. They can't know what those of us who know you both know: that those are some of the biggest understatements in print. ...and Happy Birthday, Bob!

Norman | 12.9.10 @ 2:38PM

I don't know what your dad did when he read your article...but I wept.
Thanx!

Rob| 12.9.10 @ 4:07PM

What a wonderful tribute! And what a wonderful Dad you must have to have inspired such loving words! As I write this note, I am joining you in prayer for God's blessings on your father in celebration of his birthday.

Leon| 12.12.10 @ 2:14PM

We lost my father a year ago yesterday.
Your story about your father reminded me of him.

Dad never had to use a credit card to buy me a computer, but he did work weird jobs for a couple years when I was in high school. Some included weeks away from home and long trips to get back for the weekends.

Thanks for your story.

Pelligrino| 12.13.10 @ 5:52AM

Mr. Lott,
I appreciate very much what you have written here about your father, in specific, and, in general the type of people who DO make the world go round.

You wrote, "They don't light the room on fire when they walk into it because they are busy doing something far more vital. Without these people, the room doesn't get built or rented or heated in the first place, and nobody gets invited.

"These necessary people quietly make it all happen, not through bureaucratic genius but through collegiality, intelligence, stubbornness, hard work, and vision with a lowercase "v." They constantly put it all on the line so that there can be a line."

The volunteers who work with youth, the tutors of many ages, Sunday School teachers, volunteer coaches, the maintenance guys EVERYWHERE, the women who seem to do so much of the work at church to include everything that makes those pot lucks huge successes.

Recently on our national Election Day November 2nd, I observed the volunteers who work about a 11-14 hour day to try to make our voting process(es) fair and functional.

Not so easy to do, as I learned firsthand.

No elected official (on salary by taxpayer citizens) seems to have a clue about the hard work this requires, not to mention the intricacies of the numerous electronic devices now employed.

What I learned: How frail and dicey our entire election process is at the nuts & bolts level. 50% or so of it managed and cobbled together on election days by ....volunteers.

You can know a good leader when he is not always glad-handing the well-to-do, the money people, the VIPs, focused on his own limelight, etc. The good leader is carefully, quietly observing who these stalwarts are in the background.

And he misses no opportunity to reward, highlight, and champion what these selfless footsoldiers do -- and who they are.

And the traits of the stalwart, behind-the-scenes volunteers? They really don't want the recognition. Goodness knows, they don't do it for this.

They don't have time for the recognition ceremony because they are already working on the next project(s).

My firm opinion: We have too few 'leaders' like this. Too few who know and champion who does the real work. This lack of real leadership? It is EVERYWHERE.

Thanks for your story about your Dad, Mr. Lott. It is good that he is still with you. When he sees these kinds of short stories that you write, he knows that you love him. And you are most probably creating these same stories for the children you have and the young people who know you.

That will warm his heart the most.

Please keep it going.