Who is my Dad....

Kent Linton Anderson

(Son of Richard and Zandra Kay Anderson) 

My father has ALWAYS been a hard worker since he was a boy. His father passed away when my dad was very young leaving my Grandma Zandra as a single mom to two children. My dad quickly grew up and was doing the man things around the house. It is funny to me, because back then my dad (as a child) would learn things by trial and error or from the neighbors. Now a days we can get on the internet and know the answer to any question we have. My father is one of the smartest guys that I know. You can ask him a question about anything and he will have an answer. 

Like I was saying my dad was busy at work from the day his father passed away. My dad in his early teens became a bag boy at the grocery store to help his mother pay for things. He did all of the automotive repairs and he kept up the house. At age 21 he started his journey with the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department. There he spent many years as a Deputy Sheriff. He was at first on street patrol, then a Deputy at Mira Loma (which was a county jail in Lancaster, Ca),  then went and drove the TST buses (buses that take the criminals from jail to there court hearings, then back to jail) when Mira Loma closed down, and then he went back to the Mira Loma facility when it reopened as an immigration court. 

My father has worked and worked and worked. I don't know how many times I remember my dad saying "I picked up a double shift". Yet he was still always there for us! 

One of my favorite things to do when I was young related to my dad's work was we would take all of our dogs to Mira Loma (when it was the jail) and the inmates would wash our dogs to make some money! We would always drop them off to my dad and pick then up when he would call. 

I also remember being a young girl and going our to the shooting range with my brother and dad and shooting targets! It was fun but I tell you it was the worse peeing in the desert as a little girl!

Now my dad has a great house, great yard, good cars, and no job.......he had a doctor's appointment and like that he is off on medical leave. I do believe his retirement date is sometime next year, but he has gone off duty on medical leave for the rest of his time with the Sheriffs Department. 

I asked him how he felt and my father said "scared"! Seriously when is my dad scared? He said it is all new to him! Which is so true. My father has been a working man pretty much his whole life, so you are now telling him he no long has to work! That is crazy to think. I am much like my father. I have had a part time job with Costco this past month and have been calling in everyday to see if I can get more hours so I completely understand how he feels. 

I talked to Derek today (crying as I was talking) about how worried I was about my dad! I also was worried about how my dad could be retired!!! It scares me to think that my parents are getting old! Derek then had to remind me that my dad is retiring very young and that he isn't that old, but I still worry. 

For some people retirement is a blessing, but for my dad I don't think that is the case.My mom and I were talking what my dad was going to do with his time.  

I told my mom that she and my dad should go house hunting and find a cheap, ruined house and my dad has two years to fix it up for Derek and I to live in =) To bad Derek and I have no clue where we are going to be in two years but it is a good idea!

 I just hope that this retirement thing ends up being a blessing to him and that he might be able to get used to taking it easy, because after all he deserves it!

I love my Dad and am grateful for the example that he has given to me of being a hard worker!

(My dad at his Academy Graduation)