Life Lessons from a Dad That Told Bad Jokes...The Story of Jack Hare

By Jackie White

I believe everyone is here for a reason. We have a purpose here and everyone imparts lessons to all of us. As we approach Father’s Day, I think of my own dad. His jolly soul lifted others around him. He was light hearted and it wasn’t often he was cross. He truly enjoyed life, and I believe his example in having fun in life was the reason he was here. I reflect back today on the lessons I learned from my dad, Jack Hare and on some of his really bad jokes that made us all laugh.​

Life Lessons

1. Have Fun: Let’s get right to it, my dad was about having fun. He would turn his glasses upside down, get on the floor and play with the babies kind of dad. Babies loved him! They probably could understand Dad’s attitude of fun! If you ever need a corny joke, he had it. How about painfully silly pun? He had them. If you ever needed a laugh, a party, a drink, he was the go to guy.

What’s a Zookey? A Key to the Zoo (Duh!)

2. Life is too short don't waste it: Dad was not a wallflower. He was in it and he was taking advantage of what life had to offer! He lived life large and loud and with only a few regrets.

Oh and Don’t Forget to Have Fun!

3. Be Fashionable: Before I was born, photos of Dad showed him to be a pretty hip 1950’s/60’s dude. He wore suits and ties to work and I remember these great black and white spats. The ultimate in cool! Then came the 70’s and he moved on to the God-Awful leisure suits, but he was stylin’! I admired that my Dad always could wear pink and pull it off. Shoot, I thought he looked so awesome that when I was in high school, I began wearing all his cool old clothes (thin ties and sport jacket with big shoulders). 

What is a Honeymoon Salad Called: Lettuce Alone

4. Just Dance! This was dad. When there was an opportunity to dance, he was cuttin’ a rug! One of my favorite memories was the day he decided he would dance like a Pip (remember Gladys Knight and the Pips?). He was doing his Pip dance and thought he’d try to do the splits. He tipped over and hit his head on the coffee table. Listen, I didn’t say he was Fred Astaire, but sometimes, the spirit of something far outweighs technique! (Kind of like my singing!)

How Do You Make A Tissue Dance? Put a Little Boogie in it!

5. Be Yourself! There is only one of you ever in the world, so don’t try to be someone else. Dad was really good at making sure that I knew it was important to be proud of just who I am. He seemed happy with himself and for me, that looked like a good way to live.

Make it a Priority to Have Fun!

6. Vegas Baby: If you haven’t figured this one out yet, Dad was a firm believer in enjoying life and he did! Las Vegas was his Happy Place and we frequented there quite often! Number 7 and the crap tables, good food, the shows and sitting by the pool! We traveled the US in our motorhome visiting friends and family everywhere! Dad loved it all! 

What's the name of the Nevada City where all the dentists live? Floss Vegas

7. Be Creative: If you forget someone’s name, just call them George: Dad could never remember my friend’s names, so he got creative and defaulted to calling everyone George. I always thought that was a good strategy, but what I really appreciated was that he always took time to goof around and talk to my friends when they came over. It made us all feel important.

Laugh and Have Fun with Everyone!

8. Be Friendly: Dad was friendly with everyone. He was the ambassador of chit chat. He could chat it up with anyone and he loved meeting new people. We would go camping and it wasn’t long and the neighbors next door were our new best friends!​

Make Sure to Have Fun!

9. No Need for Roughing It: Just to be clear, we never roughed anything! We camped in an RV. There was no sleeping on the ground! And, hey, if it is cold outside, crank up the heat, and if it’s hot outside, blast the air conditioner! Yes, I admit, the apple doesn’t fall from the tree on this one!

Knock Knock - Who’s There? Rv, Rv Who? RV There Yet?

10. Be Generous (but not too much): Dad was generous with everybody. It’s such a good quality, but I also saw how he might have been too generous on occasions. I learned there is a balance between those two extremes. That’s a good lesson to learn.

And Don’t Forget to Have Fun!

11. Love Your Wife: I always knew Dad loved Mom. That was so good for me to see that. I knew Mom and Dad would always be together. Stability and love were the foundation I saw to be important.

How do you make Holy Water? Boil the Hell Out of it!

12. Love And Be Proud of Your Kids: Dad was always proud of his kids. Were we all perfect? Nope, but he still loved us and was proud to be our dad. ​​

The Morale of the Story is to Just Have Fun!

I was blessed to have Jack Hare as my dad. He made me laugh and I knew he loved me. I do believe he was here to bring a smile to people’s faces and for them to have fun. He accomplished that goal in my opinion. Of course, the biggest lesson I learned from my dad was to have fun. I most definitely subscribe to his “Have Fun Philosophy” and I hope that after reading this you may consider the ways you can find more fun in your life too! And, hey, at least you have a few new jokes to try out!

Happy Father’s Day, Have fun and Shine On!