Dads are stereotypically modest when it comes to Father’s Day, but we couldn’t let ours off the hook that easy! Here’s a tribute to the dads of PR/PR!

Russell Trahan:

My dad turned 75 this year, less than a month before Father’s Day.  I’m so grateful he is healthy and happy.  Since his retirement, nearly 15 years ago, he is particularly happy when he and my mother are at their winter home in the Palm Springs, CA area.  This is a great retirement community, with all kinds of activities and friends his age.  Being there keeps him physically and mentally active.  He was very active as a father; for example, he was the leader of my Boy Scout troop while I was earning my Eagle Scout award.  One of my favorite memories around that time was when dad announced he was stepping down as Scout Master just prior to my Eagle Court of Honor.  He wanted to be just my dad for the event.  All my life he’s been much more than ‘just my dad,’ he’s been a friend, a mentor and the best joke teller I know.  I pray he continues to be so for many more years.

Amanda Tucker:

When I think about my favorite memories of my father, I think of our family road trips. Whether our family of seven was driving the hour to my grandparent’s house or making the long trek from Florida to Massachusetts, he always did his best to keep everyone happy. He started a family rituatl we call “The Candy Game” where when we stopped for gas, he would buy a random selection of candy and surprise us with it. My four siblings and I would pass the bag around and choose one and once everyone had something, we would all rave about what we picked. As silly as it may sound, the anticipation of seeing my dad walk out of the store with a bag was always so exciting to us. Even though my siblings and I are all adults now, he still surprises us with “The Candy Game” every now and then and we get just as excited now as we did back then.

My father taught me one of the most important lessons…that family comes first and that we should always be there for each other no matter what. From simple things like “The Candy Game” or big things like guiding us through important decisions in life, he’s been there for us and set such an example for how we need to be with each other and our future families. I’m so thankful for that.

Lindsay Durfee:

“Most people think that my mom and I are very much alike, and while they are not wrong, I am also SO much like my dad.  My parents decided to only have one kid, so I grew up learning how to shoot, going hunting and fishing, and occasionally playing a random sport with my dad – which has become a legendary story in my family.”

“My dad taught (cough, forced, cough) me to play badminton.  He was a tennis superstar in his youth and can pretty much pick up any sport and excel.  I, however, cannot.  But, every afternoon for a year or so, he dragged me outside to play in our backyard.  It was a love/hate experience: there were always things I would rather do instead, and he can have a tough-love approach to teaching (a.k.a. hitting the shuttlecock so high I couldn’t see it anymore, and then I had to try to field the shot back!), but I always had fun.  And, I have to say, when my high school P.E. class got around to badminton, it was the only time I was ever picked first!  So, I must thank my Dad for my stubbornness, my drive to succeed (or, at least to be right!), and my perfectionism.  Also for teaching me to be pretty good at a sport almost no one plays!

Carter Breazeale:

My Dad and I have always shared a passionate affinity for Atlanta sports. Many times it’s to our detriment, as our diehard allegiance to the Atlanta Braves and their seemingly inevitable collapses have ruined many a summer (but that’s another tale.) Every year, Dad and I take a mini-vacation to a ballpark that we’ve never attended before and catch a weekend Braves series. This tradition of ours began three years ago, where Dad surprised me with weekend tickets to check out Atlanta play in St. Louis for my birthday. Our goal is to eventually make it to every National League park, but the games are often just the backdrop to my Dad and me spending quality time together and enjoying each other’s company. I cherish these weekends because life has a tendency to get in the way, and often it’s the only time my Father and I can kick back and enjoy some one-on-one time.

The above photo is from my first Falcons game two years ago, where we spent an afternoon throwing a football around and heckling Tampa Bay fans. Even nearing 60, Dad can still talk trash with the best of them. It was definitely one of my fondest memories with Dad!

Carter is on a well-deserved vacation this week, so the blog post is being written by the boss.  Bear with me.

It’s a working vacation for Carter … not working for PR/PR, but working to help a friend move cross-country.  Carter flew to Los Angeles to help his friend drive to Florida.  Having made the trek myself many years ago, I’m envious of the adventure Carter is having.  When I did it, there were no smartphones so we didn’t have texting or Angry Birds in our car.  Fortunately, there are two of them so they can trade off the driving and avoid the distraction of our electronic age.

The story of the young man on trial for allegedly texting while driving, causing a head-on collision and the death of the driver of the other car, has been discussed in the office recently.  Many Americans would scream to the heavens if you try to pry their cell phones from their gearshift-holding hands.  Many states already have hands-free cell phone use laws and others have no texting while driving laws.  The National Transportation Safety Board has called for a nation wide ban on all cell phone use in cars, while Chapel Hill, NC has already implemented this.  The state of origin of this story reminded me of another American institution which has waned in use in recent years. 

The parallel that popped into my head was the protests of tobacco users when the ban on smoking began.  Being of an age that remembers ashtrays at the isle ends of grocery stores, I also remember the Marlboro Country citizens’ outcry as their areas allowing exhaling shrank and eventually disappeared.  If you had told children of the ‘70s they would see a country where smoking was the exception, not the norm, they’d tell you you were crazy.  Yet as public opinion turned the popularity of puffing began its dénouement.

Popular opinion dictates what is socially acceptable and what is not.  Perceptions of common activities change over time and generations.  Consider these social norms no longer viewed through the same filters: views on sexual orientation, violence and nudity on television, tanning and sunscreen use.

Is it possible we are seeing the beginning of the end for cell phone use in cars?

– Russell Trahan
President, PR/PR Public Relations

Changing things up a bit on this humid and overcast day in Orlando. As we’re all well aware, yesterday was Mother’s Day, and in this week’s edition of the blog, we decided to take our own individual trips down memory lane as a tribute to the PR/PR moms!

Russell Trahan:

I love this photo of my mother at the beach.  That’s Haystack Rock, on the Oregon Coast, behind her.  You may recognize the landmark from the movie “Goonies.”  Mother loves the coast; her grandparents had a house there when she was young and she has great memories of it.  Since she was a librarian in the public school system, mother always had spring break off with us kids.  Dad would take the week off, too, and we’d all head down to the beach.  The weather on the Oregon coast isn’t always pleasant in March, but that didn’t stop us from having fun.  We’d play games by the fire while the storm raged outside.  Mother and I would always share a pinochle hand against my dad and sister.  As a team we always won, but I suspect that was more due to her skills than my help.  Seeing my mother smile at the beach, I know she’s remembering her good memories while I’m remembering mine.

Amanda Tucker:

I lived on campus all four years of college at USF. At the end of every semester, my mom would come down to Tampa to help me move my things out of my dorm room. It wasn’t always the most exciting way to spend the day…it was usually uncomfortably hot outside and I had more than you could imagine packed into my small room. Somehow we always managed to have the most fun! Those days were always full of gossip, laughter and quality time for us. On several occasions, we would have our hands full of clothes, books and boxes, get into the elevator and get the giggles, dropping what we had in our hands and laughing until we cried. My mother has a way of making every situation silly and fun. I can always count on her for that.

Lindsay Durfee:

My mom and I tend to do stupid things together.  Really dumb.  As in, at some point, we are looking at each other with that “How did we get ourselves into this mess?!?” look.  It always results in good times and hilarious memories.  Which is funny, because I think one of my favorite times with my Mom was my senior year of college.  It was fall break; there was nothing going on at home, so no one really wanted to pay for me to fly there.  Instead, my mom drove the 10 hours up to Elon to see me.  I had an off-campus apartment, so Mom had a free place to stay, and we just hung out.  We watched movies, got take out, chatted about what I wanted to do after college and just interacted as friends.  I really think it set the tone for the future of our relationship.  We have had so many more fun times since (vacation, moving to Florida, my wedding) but this memory really sticks out as one of the best times I ever had with my mom.

Carter Breazeale:

My mom and I have always been the most light-hearted and casual of the family, and because of this we share a special, enduring bond. Blessed with unrivaled patience and penchant for understanding, I always knew my mom would listen and give sound advice. My fondest memories with mom continue to this day, and they just involve sitting in the backyard with the family dog, Riley, and enjoying each other’s company. Sometimes we discuss important life-events, other times we just relax in silence and take in the moment. I’ve learned in life that the little things matter as much, and at times even more, than the large, and I cherish all of these day to day moments with my mom that have contributed to a lifetime of great memories.