My dad would have been 88 years old today. It seems hard to believe he would be that old. It seems harder to believe that we lost him eight years ago.
He was an introvert at heart. He did not like talking about himself. He was of the stoic WWII generation, but not as stoic as some. He told a few stories of his childhood, few of his Navy service during the war, and few other stories about himself. There was one of his later life he was proud to tell. . . about how he discovered that one man really could make a difference.
My dad was not an activist nor a consumer watchdog. I never knew him to write a letter of complaint except for one time. He was very upset every time he bought bought bottled water at one of the convenience stores in a relatively nearby town. He was charged tax on the water. The state had several changes in taxes on food and drink over the years, but at that time food and some drinks were not taxed. He decided to write a letter to the state tax commission complaining about the store and how they were the only ones who charged tax on the water. ( I can’t remember if he just hand wrote the letter or had me type it on the computer for him. I think I may have typed it, but I am not sure. )
He sent off the letter and a few days later bought water at another convenience store where he had not been charged tax. He was charged tax on the water. He told the clerk that he thought there must be a mistake. He’d purchased water there just a couple of days before and there had been no tax. The clerk replied that they had just gotten an enforcement letter from the state tax commission telling them water needed to be taxed. A week or so later, the tax commission sent my father a letter explaining the tax on water and thanking him for letting them know.
He was proud that he alone had made a difference. He was not pleased with paying more for his bottled water as a result of making that difference.
Dad was always a Boy Scout
