Great Men, Part IV: Jan Lorenc 


My father, my hero. 



On the occassion of my father's 50th birthday I feel it prudent to finish what I started (and promised) by writing a piece on my dad, Jan Lorenc.

As I try to write this blog entry I am finding it difficult to start since there are so many things that I can say about my dad. He loves my mother, he is my father and Juli and Paul's father and he is an extreme success in his own right.

I have decided to post the toast that I made to my dad tonight at his surprise party in front of his many friends and family members. The party was a blast and my dad had a great time. I hope that the statement below can give you some idea about the fantastic relationship between my dad and myself.


There are not many people that I know who can claim to have met their idol or role model. There are even fewer who are able to get to know that person and none, who I know, at least, who can call their own father, their dad, the person who they look up to and aspire to be like in life.

As you may or may not know, my dad, Jan Lorenc, is my own personal role model and my hero. In fact, this may even be news to the man who we’re all here honoring today. Today he is turning 50, and he is here today because of the successful and full life that he has led so far. And I expect even more of which to be proud of him in the time ahead.

His life-lesson to me has been to teach me the importance of personal responsibility. My dad never had anything handed to him for nothing and has been through more in 50 years than many people experience throughout their entire lifetime. For that, I am eternally grateful. I am also grateful to him for his love for my mother, his passion for his work, his friendship and his extremely wacky sense of humor. I hope that some of these things have rubbed off onto me as I have and am growing up.

He has been called a genius. He has been called a nut. I call him my dad, and the best one that I could have, at that.

So with that glowing retrospective on my dad, Jan Lorenc, I propose a toast to him in the traditional Polish fashion: Nazdarowie!

And wishing him 50 more years: Sto lat!

Happy Birthday, Dad. I love you. 

Posted: Wed - July 28, 2004 at 11:39 PM          

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