the cliches of the French (sorry about the accent gap)

Here it is,
the cliche word,
solidarity!

My father,
schooled in the ways of Capitalist Error,
aka,
The McCarthy Period,
or the McCarthy Terror:

would never say
he tips out of .....
solidarity.

But it's true.

He can remember,
only too well,
what it was,
not to work for a salary,
not to have benefits,
but to work anyway.

As if it were yesterday,
he remembers.

And out of respect for what he remembers,
he would like to tip.

Ah,
but you say he's showing off?

Yes, maybe,
that too.

But don't kid yourself.

His memories are real.