My father passed away in 2001 but I can’t help thinking about him when Father’s Day draws near. He was unique and eccentric. Life was interesting with him. Most lists at this time have ideas for gifts to give one’s father, but I’m going to list several gifts he gave me. Almost none of them can be purchased.

Astronomy: When we were very young he took us out of school despite the protests of the principal and others to go see a Solar eclipse. This remains one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

Responsibility: My father always expected us to be responsible. When I was 16 and had no house rules to follow I asked him why I was so lucky. He replied that if he hadn’t been able to teach me how to behave by now, I was never going to learn.

Independence: As children we were never bored. If we were we got more chores! In any case, there were always books to read as my father had a very extensive library – even if most of it was technical in nature. There was paper and paint and between these and my imagination there was little time or reason for boredom.

Sense of Adventure: My father loved food and loved to try new things. His motto was “Try it, if it kills you, you won’t have to try it again.” I grew up learning to use chopsticks around the same time I learned to use a spoon and fork. He was a huge fan of science fiction and I was reading his ever growing collection of pulp magazines (Analog, Amazing, Fantasy and Science Fiction, etc) before I was six years old.

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