Remembering Dad . . . a little cliche

     It's Father's Day, so I'm remembering my dad.  He hasn't walked the Earth for many years, but he's with me every day, every moment. yes, I am who I am because of my parents.  And I am honored to walk in their footsteps.
     So here I am, a librarian, crediting my dad with who I am today, and I don't have a clear picture of my dad ever reading a book other than a prayerbook, which he read, if you will excuse me, religiously, every day. His other reading material was the newspaper, which he read from cover to cover. And those memories are vivid!  Every evening he'd sit in the den and read the paper.  At that time, even our small town paper (a daily in a community of about 34,000) was significant, multiple sections with many pages each. Certainly not The New York Times, but a far cry from the 12 pages that make up the local paper today.
     I'm guessing Dad was dyslexic in an age long before learning disabilities were ever identified. I don't think reading was easy for him. But it was important to him!  And while I don't remember seeing him reading novels, I know there were westerns at his bedside, and since they changed occasionally, I imagine he read them and replaced them with other titles.
     Manitowoc Public Library's mission includes a statement about promoting a culture of reading.  As librarians, we work at promoting a reading culture to the community.  But as a parent, if your children see you read -- anything at all -- you can give that gift to your children. 
     So thank you Dad, for reading the newspaper every day. And thank you Mom, for the novels you devoured in every spare moment. Reading has always been my pleasure and I have managed to turn that into a career (not, mind you, that librarians spend their days reading on the job, but that when we read for pleasure, we can use those titles for readers advisory).
     Now, in Dad's honor, I think I'll go read a book!