My earliest recollection as a child became a significant turning point for me. According to my mother’s notes recording my progress in infancy, in my ninth month I discovered books and she wrote “Allan loves to have stories told to him”. Surprisingly, it was just after I turned one year old according to my mother’s notes, when I began to sleep in my own room.
My Dad
Sometime after that, I remembered my dad asked me to go to my room to get a book. I ran to the bookcase, grabbed my favorite book, “Jiggers” and ran into my parent’s room.
Dad in his rocking chair
There a large comfortable rocking chair resided with my dad comfortably seated. I jumped onto Daddy’s lap, book in hand ready for the story.
Allan & his Teddy in the Rocking Chair
The story was about a little girl and her dog named Jiggers. She loved to play with Jiggers until one day someone left the door open and Jiggers ran out and got lost. Her parents helped search for the dog but for a while Jiggers could not be found. Finally, Jiggers was found and the little girl’s tears turned into happy smiles.
My Dad read this book to me so many times I actually memorized it. He often tested me and skipped a sentence. I immediately stopped and corrected him, and promptly recited the sentence he skipped. Another book that I recalled was “The Poky Little Puppy” although I don’t remember the story for this one.
Turning Points
This experience gave me an appreciation for reading books, although I didn’t really read much other than school books until I reached high school. I also gained an appreciation for the power of storytelling and the importance of developing ability to explain things to others. These moments with my dad also created a deep love for him that helped me cope with his strictness during my teenage years.
COPYRIGHT © 2014 ALLAN E. MUSTERER