An Ode to Papa: Book 2

I have inherited my father's stubborness. A grim-faced, complete bloody-mindedness, and absolute refusal to yield ground in any way, on issues that we feel we are right about. I have also inherited his tendency to cold and silent anger, which reaches its flashpoint ( and God help bystanders when it does!) somewhere down the line. People may call it pig-headedness, but I like this streak in him and me. It smacks of strength. I consider character and intellect to be the deepest aspirational values, and Papa has oodles of both. He marches, in these matters, to the tune of his own internal piper.
At the same time, Papa is deeply conservative, in his adherence to a particular decorum, particularly in public. He can be surprisingly playful in private. All in all, a complex man.
I respect my father very much, because of his character and intelligence. He is a self-made man, and well-made too.