REV. MURPHY PLEASANT, SR.
June 7,1922 -March 10, 1987
I often think of my Daddy with his wonderful ways, interestingly quirky manners and that serious deep-tone voice, which said “quit playing . ” He was the definite life of any party and there were many milestones and surprise celebrations along the way. When Murphy Jr. and I attended Lloyd Street Elementary School, Fridays were special. As soon as Daddy hit
the door from Motor Castings, we jumped him, playfully wrestled him to the floor and “confiscated” all the coins that fell from his pockets. It wasn’t until years later we learned that He purposefully got extra change just for those moments. We
had big fun as morals, character, integrity, and worth were being forged through love and discipline. In repeated teaching moments and knowing the frailty of human nature, Daddy would often admonish me by saying “Think twice before you speak and three times before you act.”
Countless negative situations and circumstances have been adverted just because I heeded his words. Often smiling to myself and saying “Thank you, Daddy. I hear you. It isn’t worth it . ” Overtime, I realized this temperament gives control to the individual that regards those words. Imagine if more Daddies of today would present and say to their offspring “Think twice.” Perhaps, shootings, crimes and [this] foolishness would plummet because (like mine) Daddy was a man at horne who invested himself, in his children .
