i'd be willing to bet a large sum that the box just contains some porn. i posted this as a reply to another thread, but decided to start a new one. he is the rub (no pun intended)...the box must contain something that is embarassing or shameful in someway, but is still use to the dad while he is alive (otherwise he would just destroy it himself right now).

Porn seems an obvious answer to me...many guys have at least joked about having a close friend retrieve their porn stash (or in todays world, clear out their browser history) prior to their parents/wife finding it, should they meet an unexpected deminse.

any other suggestions as to what meets the criteria?

But doesn't explain the gold watch. You keep a gold watch locked up in a box with porn? Gold watch = family heirloom. Someone passed it to him, he's passing it to his (favorite) son, along with papers he wants him to burn. You wouldn't ask your 20 something son to burn your porn stash, you would ask your best buddy to do that.

God, i hope it's not child porn.

My thought was something along those lines...I was hoping it was just porn of a less than mainstream type rather than something outright illegal/immoral.

I must say though, it does seem odd that the watch is there as well.

Porn just seems too pedestrian. You hide that in between your mattresses, not locked in a wooden box. Besides, I just don't think any particular bit of porn would be worth hanging on to if it was going to cause that much trouble after you're dead.

ostensibly, he wants to keep it around so he can refer to it. But it's something that can be burnt, so whatever value it has is sentimental to him and not to his son. But there is some value for his son in learning what it is.

I think they're some mementos of a previous life. Maybe a secret relationship, maybe even a crime. Another possiblity is maybe the secret is not even the father's. Maybe he has info about someone else he swore he's take to his grave.

It's a negative of him being buggered by Dick Cheney. Useful to him while they're both still alive - shameful, useless to him when he's dead.

 

Cockholding Viking Bodice Rippers Seeking Vestal Vrigins.

The title of this thread and the OP's name reminded me of the Wheel of Fish game show in UHF where the guy trades a red snapper for the box and wins .... ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Maybe there's nothing in the box and it's just a test? But I hope it isn't a red snapper.

i was thinking of the movie se7en when i wrote it, the great/horrible acting of brad pitt in the final scene. but i appreciate the reference to UHF also. another classic what's in the box moment. hopefully it's not someone's head or the red snapper.

good point by yggy. i suppose it could be something like lover letters from a previous relationship that he has sentimental attachement too. so he could never bring himself to dispose of them, but once he is dead they might as well be.

omabikeryder- note that the LW stated they are more like friends than father/son. that's why i thought the porn angle was more probable.

I'd be willing to bet that box contains about the same thing my dad's box did; letters from his first wife (hateful ones), love letters from an old flame before he met my mom, pictures of and letters from his family, some legal papers and old Arizona Highway magazines...and some sweet love letters from when he was dating my mom. I'm glad I wasn't asked to destroy the contents of that box; I couldn't get rid of the family pictures and letters, except from his first wife. Not every 'burn box' contains nasty stuff.

The fact that LW's dad wants him to have the watch stored in the box and go through everything in the box before burning it sorta tells that there's knowledge he wants LW to have but can't or doesn't want to discuss with him. Maybe he's not LW's real father. Who knows? But I really don't think it's porn.