Today is my parents’ 49th wedding anniversary. Last night my mom posted this picture. It’s them in 1967, not long after they got married. It was taken in my dad’s Weather Bureau office. 

Someone on Facebook asked why, behind them, there is a photo of my dad. Did he really keep a photo of himself on the wall above his desk? Isn’t that … weird? My dad responded:

That was our pilot briefing desk. The man in charge of the office had a pic of the head of the Weather Bureau hanging there and every morning he would come in and look at it in worship. One morning I decided to replace it with my pic before he arrived. I don’t remember the reaction but I was not fired. 

My parents are not rich and when they die there won’t be much left behind. But trolling authority figures is certainly a family heirloom that I have and will always cherish. I guess I come by it honestly.