Father’s Day, the celebration recognizing father’s originated in Spokane, Washington in 1910. A daughter asked her pastor to honor her father in a sermon in June. It did not catch on until the 1930s when different commercial entities recognized the opportunity to sell products targeted as gifts for fathers of …
“When did you get your first car?” The quick answer is: when I left home the day I graduated from Spaulding Institute, high school, in May 1965. We had a friend, Pete, who lived and worked in Waukegan, Illinois. He found me a job in Skokie, Illinois. I wrote about …
“Tell me about an adventure you’ve been on.” Which adventure should I recount in answer to this question? One from Iceland stands out in my mind, and one repeated many times. Let’s begin. My wife and I were in Iceland. The Navy sent me there in 1974, and she soon …
Did you have a car in high school? Ask a teenager today if they drive a car to their high school and likely receive a positive response. Ask me—oh you did—and learn I did not drive to school for two reasons. First, my high school was in the heart of …
What gives you peace of mind? Peace of mind can be elusive at times. Age brings aches and pains. And the realization lifetimes are finite. Making long-range decisions more difficult. Yet, sitting here in my recliner and thinking on it—I enjoy many things that make life enjoyable, giving me a …
“What were your grandparents like?” It is the third question about my ancestors. First was one about my Mother, the second my Father, and now one about my Grandparents. Regrets. This one finally forced me to consider that I took my parents and grandparents for granted as a youngster. My …
“How has your life turned out differently than you imagined it would?” The question begs framing to a particular age with a plan. I used to sit with my best friend, David Kaufman, around a fire in the backyard. We had the map of the United States from the McNally …
“What was your Dad like when you were a child?” This question taxes me more than some of the others. Francis Leo Knott, my Father reenlisted in the US Navy in 1953 when I hadn’t yet reached my sixth birthday. My parents never divulged the reason for settling in Beverly …
I received a subscription to StoryWorth for Christmas. Each week, I receive a question to answer. This one takes me back to San Diego. At the end of the year, I will use my answers to create a book at their site. I intend to include the material from the …
Where did you go on Family vacation as a child? Winter weather where I lived in Illinois as a child was unpredictable, especially near Christmas. I don’t remember once taking a family vacation during Christmas vacation. But, I remember the inches of snow to build snow forts, make snowballs, and …
