BETTY'S BACK PORCH

Pondering. . . .

January 21, 2015 at 9:15am

ME AND MY DAD….

 Sometimes I find myself given over to introspection—I suppose everyone does  it now and then, but I grew up in an era where the common thought on raising children was ‘not too much praise, lest they become arrogant and prideful’. 

So,growing up, I did not get much feedback , the consequence being, in my case, feeling unsure of just who I was. 

Looking back now and remembering some of the discussions I had with my dad, I see that I was a curious child, who loved to read.

  My dad always subscribed to the Reader’sDigest.  I loved it, too and devoured each issue from cover to cover.  Dad and I laughed together over the jokes, and talked about various articles that we had read.  At the time I didn’t realize how important this discourse was to me.   I do now.

I remember having a discussion with Dad about the principle of hydraulics in the sprouting of a seed, and once we talked about ‘goosepimples’ and what causes them!   My dad never laughed at my odd curiosities and always discussed them seriously with me.

I read a lot and I am sure books helped to shape my thinking processes.

. Some of the popular books I recall reading during my high school days were awesome  books:

          Lloyd C. Douglas wrote THE ROBEand MAGNIFICENT OBSSESSION; Taylor Caldwell wrote DEAR AND GLORIOUS PHYSICIAN & THE CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS. 

 I loved HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY by Llewellyn, And KEYS OF THE KINGDOM by A.J. Cronin 

 My dad always inquired about the books I was reading and sometimes was shocked that I was reading books with SEX  in them!

  Because I was timid and non-assertive compared to my feisty sister, and my brilliant older brother, I did not have a high opinion of my own intelligence.  My dad, in his way, helped to quietly build my confidence, and somewhere along the way I discovered a solid core of self- esteem buried somewhere within myself.  Betty Owen, Notes 2015