Paterfamilias

I did it! I finally got my Dad to read my blog!!
That is a dream come true on so many levels! My parents are staunchly anti-technology.While I have to concede that I am slightly like that too-remember my mixed feelings towards Facebook?-my hesitation about embracing technology is more about the ability of technology to swallow up one's entire life, of which I already see traces in my house.There are three laptops in the house and sometimes, both the kids and I have one each and are so engrossed in what it has to offer, that we forget to talk to each other!!
My parents on the other hand, do not feel technology warrants all the time and effort needed to master it-though my dad says he is pretty impressed with what a search engine can do for you!! He writes books and has recently discovered that the internet is an absolute fount of information on  pretty common words like loyalty and honesty(he writes moral instruction books, among other things).My hope is that it will convince him to learn how to use a computer all by himself. My sister at one point did try to get him to use a computer,but to no avail.Right now he has help, actually a ton of help from colleague who patiently helps him get online and search for things.
When I casually mentioned that I had written a blog post about the Koh-i-Noor, he wanted to know if he could see it from India(the image of my Dad craning his neck,with his hand shading his forehead pops to mind!!),and I gave him my blog address and instructed him to ask his colleague to help him with it.
The next week,he mentioned that he had read my post and found it interesting.There!! I bagged another follower!!
I then told him that I keep writing about this and that and he should probably check the blog often to see if I have posted anything and maybe, read it  if I had.So getting my Dad anywhere near a computer on a daily basis is success in itself.
But more importantly, my Dad is the reason I blog-he was the one who inspired me to read-genetically my reading habit comes from my Mom.The two of us can literally lose ourselves in a book to the extreme of skipping a meal or sleep or some such thing.But it was my dad who nourished that impulse and whenever possible bought me books and magazines and encyclopedias and encouraged me to read voraciously.He bought me a "Tell me Why" series of books which greatly improved my general knowledge.I remember him going to Delhi once and asking me what I wanted him to buy for me from there.My answer was,"Books", and I remember him buying me a boxed set-Jack London,Frank Baum,and Robin Hood and King Arthur and.......for the intelligentsia keeping track, I know I mixed in authors and titles-sorry about that!! Indolent creature that I was(is?!), I indulged to my heart's content in my favourite past time whenever I could. I know my Dad spent sleepless nights worrying about my inability to stay awake to study for school, while books could keep me awake for hours!.He used to diligently wake me up early in the morning to prepare for tests and exams and I guess  he hoped it helped.It did Dad!! But more importantly,my language skills got me through Engineering college more than my mathematical or scientific prowess did.In my case,nature and nurture came together pretty well,I think.
So,as much as my Mom gave me my head start, I owe my writing skills to him.I owe my vocabulary to him-heck I owe this blog to him!! He has never critiqued my work before but, Appa, here is your chance!!