Fathers Day by Dan Markus

My dad told me this story, after my mom told him.

Often, when I was pre-school age, my mom would have friends and neighbors over for coffee and cigarettes. Being home, I would often hang around the kitchen table, because that was where the action was. I remember mom’s coffee klatch visits well, and apparently, one time (as mom related the story to dad) I was a bit “too involved” in the conversation (more than a 4 year-old should be, I guess) and mom’s guest said to me “You should be on the radio!”

Funny, huh? Dad never told me that story until after I started my radio career. Now, with 50+ years in the business, I occasionally wonder why I didn’t see the signs until the day I walked into the campus radio station at UW-Whitewater. The light bulb went off within the first 5 minutes of that visit: ” I wanna do this for a living.”

What’s this got to do with Father’s Day? I’ll ‘splain.

It should not have surprised me-but it did-that dad was against me going into radio. He wanted me to be a lawyer, preferring that I choose ANY more serious occupation. “Professional radio announcer” was an oxymoron for him UNTIL, the first time he saw me on television (my first paying job was as “Uncle Dan” on cable TV in Janesville). Then he did a 180 and thought it was pretty cool (especially since I used the family name as my professional name. Still do).

Then there was the time I bought my first motorcycle. Dad had always forbidden me from having one. But eventually I was old enough and independent enough to get one. I persuaded him to actually go for a ride around the block with me. He did. His reaction: “I see now how fun that is.”

Here’s to flexible fathers everywhere. The ones who can change their minds (even if it takes decades like the motorcycle example). My dad has been gone a quarter century now, but he’s still influencing me and my choices. Happy Father’s Day dad, and dads everywhere.