With Father’s Day on the doorstep, it is important for this writer to move out of the third person and state how blessed his life has been because of a wonderful father. He passed this life more than 50 years ago, however, the road map, love, connection, and role model to emulate, have been more than many sons receive in a lifetime. More than to extol his virtues, my objective is to express thankfulness. He continues to be a guide. His wife, my mother, died much too early and left him with girls ages 14 and 12, and one son, not yet two years old. He proved his worth as a parent, often father and mother, with his work ethic, caring, and ability to perform family tasks not usually thought of as for the man of the house, and to do those tasks with humor, a sense of joy, and caring.
Thank you, Dad! I was blessed!
Clear and Concise, Week 24, Year 2:
Words matter, and not just in correct construction, verb agreement, or, in understanding the differences between nouns and verbs. In an inadvertent opportunity by the conductor of this column, in one minute heard an erudite PhD professor, evidently tied to sociology, certainly the American experience, end a seemingly well-informed and intelligent discussion on the future in the United States said words to the effect, “…and then the white population (in 10 years?) will be the minority.”
What is misleading is at that future time the white population will be among the many in the minority because there will be no majority. The small seemingly slip was a perception of one group pitted against another group; that all other groups will be against the white persuasion. It is a dangerous mentality because all of the minorities, of every color, will compose the majority. Mind adjustment to help others adjust is essential.