Dad’s Downstairs 2021 -

“Dad’s downstairs.”

Now that I’m older, I get it. We all need a downstairs. A chair. A corner. A place where the thermostat is slightly too cold, the snacks are hidden, and nobody expects you to be interesting. dad’s downstairs

And if you’re lucky, he’ll pat the cushion next to him without looking up. That’s his way of saying: Come sit. Be quiet. You belong here, too. “Dad’s downstairs

The lighting is what architects would call “aggressively dim.” The TV is always playing either a war documentary, M A S H* reruns, or golf so quiet you can hear the birds chirping on the screen. On the workbench in the corner, there’s a jar of random screws that don’t fit anything, three retired remote controls, and a stack of National Geographics from 2011. A corner

Upstairs is for projects, bills, lawnmower repairs, and answering “Where are my keys?” The downstairs is for nothing. And that nothing is everything.

He’s not running away. He’s recharging.