A Day for and about Fathers

If Father's Day was to be considered a contest, it would end in a tie. Well, wouldn't it?



Some common taters, within this household as a matter of fact, bring forth the thought of having a Family's Day. The separated emphases have some plus aspects, but generally, as with the song, "you can't have one without the other". Recent and current attitudes toward family togetherness show some depletion in the numbers of 'full family' members.



What would happen if one all-inclusive day would happen vs. the current bifurcated approach? Flower shoppes and haberdasheries would have to realign their inventories,
greeting-card makers would use fewer trees perhaps. Higher unemployment - maybe for a time, and how about the lighter load for phone lines and cell towers - you'd have many of the celebratees in one location. It would be a great time for reminiscing - and genealogical interest and pursuits could be built up/expanded. Speakers of all ilk would need new sources and outlines for their presentations (so much for the gains in standing timber we had from the card-makers).

A new date would be considered - like the third Sunday in July or the second Sunday in August - helpful to round out a Summer schedule.

Now it's time for all the great thinkers of the world to weigh in on the great consideration before them.

There is probably enough space left to get in a word for my dad here. He'd have celebrated his 102nd birthday earlier this month - but he did celebrate 70 of them. He was somewhat 'playful' in his youth - driving a car 'round and 'round a traffic dummy in the center of town, to the disgust of the lone police officer. A traffic dummy in a small town? Yes, indeed; after all, it was the last stop on the main route from New York City to Montreal. He was bilingual, started work at Sheridan Iron Works at age 15 (after other jobs), and built the first radio in Champlain in the mid- to late-1920's.

He enjoyed electricity,but was conscientious in all he dealt with. I regard him as a craftsman. He talked me through many activities, and showed me the way to accomplish tasks, but not often would he provide a practice time.

Remind me to tell you about the 'mink house'. Maybe on Family's Day. . . . someday. . . .