Roni Robbins shares why her Dad is the best, coolest or funniest in town.
Steve Kayne – Asheville, N.C.
My dad is cool in a nontraditional way. How many Long Island Jewish girls have a father who’s a blacksmith? He started in our Hauppauge, N.Y., garage pounding iron into artwork, decorative pieces, fireplace tools and hardware. And he still crafts in Asheville, N.C., with my baby brother, also a Dad.
Growing up, I didn’t find it cool that my dad and my family dressed in colonial attire – my mom, sister and I in long sweaty dresses and mob caps – as we traveled around New York for craft fairs. I also didn’t think it cool touring the country during the summer visiting historical sites, museums and blacksmith shops.
As an adult I recognize the cool factor. I knew my Dad, and my brother in recent years, did work for movie sets, including “Mr. Destiny” and “The Last of the Mohicans.” I didn’t expect when reviewing the list of Kayne & Son commissions recently that Jewish Atlanta’s own Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus would join the list of former customers along with such film celebs as Jerry Bruckheimer, Clint Eastwood and Olivia Newton-John, and the sets of “Nell” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
I’d say I inherited quite a storied legacy. Maybe someday my kids will think I’m cool too. One can hope.
By Roni Robbins award-winning journalist, and author of Hands of Gold, an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award quarter finalist set for Feb 4, 2022 release by Amsterdam Publishers.
View other Father’s Day submissions by clicking here.
Here are links to Roni’s more recent articles:
Medscape: CLICK HERE
Atlanta Jewish Times: CLICK HERE
Times of Israel blogs: CLICK HERE