Why I love to write...

First and for most I am a reader and have been since well let's not get into how many years. Thank Goodness for my father who raised me. Though not a reader himself and who only went to the 8th grade. He came from here in Camden, Maine. The son of a man who fathered about 11 children and worked at anything he could to house and feed those kids. A man like his times, hard working. I don't remember him but I have daily reminders around me of my grandfather. My father like his father learned to work with his hands at a young age. He was a master carpenter and finish carpenter. He did anything that needed to be done to feed and clothed me and put me through school. He was my hero until I was in my teen years and then sadly we grew very far apart.
Now I truly appreciate what he did for me and what he probably went through to give me a good upbringing. It must have been hard for him, a widower raising a small girl on his own. He did do a good job. He instilled in me a great many things a good work ethic at a young age even though I could be an unholy terror and made him go through housekeepers like a mother changing diapers on a baby... LOL!! BUT the one thing I can say is he did everything he could to foster my love of reading. Once I started reading I didn't stop and though maybe he should have known what I was reading. By the time I was in 8th grade I was not only ready such books as "The Summer of 42...", "The Exorcist" , Anything Stephen King, "Helter Skelter" and "Valley of the Dolls". But by the time I was in High School was reading very large tomes on German History (Anything on Hitler and the 2nd World War and Russian History) preferably the time of the Last Tsar.
So I am saying thank you Dad for allowing me to read, not telling me "no". Giving me the money to buy books rather then clothes. One of my friend's would buy tons of clothes. I would buy books... I am still like that. Given the chance to go to a library Book sale I am happier then anything. My son Ian and I walked out of the Rockport Library Book sale the other day with two boxes and numerous bags...
The other thing my father instilled in me was a love of history and thankfully I have passed on that love to at least two of my children. My daughter Megan, who lives in Cambodia. She also loves to read. And my son Brendan. He who at the ripe age of 20 made his first full length feature film "The Road to Freedom". All filmed on location in Cambodia.
So thank you Dad for instilling in me the love of reading and history.