“From you, Pappa” ❤️

Father’s Day | Ruminations

16th June 2024 ❤️

On the occasion of Father’s Day today, me thought of sharing with us all, the legendary Isaac Asimov’s musings on his father, from his autobiography titled, It’s Been a Good Life.

The incident also highlights Isaac Asimov’s earliest appointment with the art of reading!

Says Asimov -

‘I learned to read before I went to school’.

‘Spurred on by my realization that my parents could not yet read English, I took to asking the older children on the block to teach me the alphabet and how each letter sounded’.

‘I then began to sound out all the words I could find on signs and elsewhere and in that way I learned to read with a minimum of outside help’.

‘When he found out I could read, [my father bought] me a small dictionary, “so you can look up words and know how to spell them.’”

‘My first thought was that it was surely impossible to find some one word among all the incredible number, but after I studied the book for a while, the workings of “alphabetical order” became plain and I asked my father if that was how the words were arranged.

‘My father had clearly held back the information to see if I could work it out for myself, and was terribly pleased’.

‘[All this] gave my father the idea that there was something strange and remarkable about me. Many years later, he looked through one of my books and said, “How did you learn all this, Isaac?’”

“From you, Pappa,” I said.

“From me? I don't know any of this.”

“You didn't have to, Pappa,” I said.

“You valued learning and you taught me to value it. Once I learned to value it, the rest came without trouble”.

To all the lovely fathers out there who have made such a huge difference in the life of their kids, by valuing that ‘something strange and remarkable’ thingummy in their kids.

Dedicated to my dearest Dad who has been the greatest role model of my life! ❤️

PS: You may also want to read Ms. Narayani Ganesh writing on her Appa - Gemini Ganesan - MCC-ian, HERE!