A Guy for All Seasons
From Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family Matters
By Gary Rubinstein

To solve any problem, here are three questions to ask yourself:
First, what could I do? Second, what could I read?
And third, who could I ask?
~John Rohn

If you’ve got a problem, my father’s got just the guy for you. After representing alleged organized crime members in court for most of his career, my father likes to think he’s connected. When he can’t be the “go-to guy” himself, he will settle as the “go-to-go-to guy.” Among his army of consultants, there’s his Doctor Guy, his Directions Guy, his Business Guy, his Fireworks Guy, and his Upper East Side Restaurant Guy. He’s a Guy-necologist.

His Interior Decorator Guy is a large Italian man named Val. Before meeting Val, my father’s decorating style could be described as “post-modern bachelor.” He was content to cover his walls with sports memorabilia and paintings of clowns. Now, his apartment is furnished with gaudy Italian furniture and esoteric framed artwork. These include black-and-white photos of ornate vases, and prints of ink drawings of horse sculptures and Corinthian Greek columns. (Keep reading)