The Curious Mind

Father’s Day is Sunday, and I truly plan to celebrate this year. We all have one, of course, and some of them are amazing. My son, for example, is one of the most amazing dads I know.

And my dad was incredible too. He was a World War I vet and a boxer when he was in the service.

He only completed eighth grade, but by the time he was 50, was manager of a major automobile factory in Detroit.

But when I turned one, he had a major heart attack and could never go back to full-time employment again.

That didn’t stop him from caring for his family, though. In the 1940s my mom went to work as the breadwinner, and he stayed home and took care of us kids. He cooked, he took us fishing, he gave us good advice.

He and my mom moved up to Woodruff and tried running a gas station on Highway 51 just south of where Dave and Dean’s stands now. But that proved to be too challenging for him physically as well. As much as he loved this area, especially the fishing, he had to give that up. They moved the family to Racine when I was five.

I’m remembering him this Father’s Day and thanking him for everything he did for us. 

Remembering My Dad

A World War I vet!

A great fisherman.

A man who took me fishing with him for hours when I was a little girl, and taught me to be quiet when it was time to be quiet.

A man with a great sense of humor.

A man who cooked the best dinners.

A man who showed up for me no matter what. My dad!

~Carol Amour

To laugh is to risk appearing a fool,

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out to another is to risk involvement,

To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.

To love is to risk not being loved in return, To live is to risk dying,

To hope is to risk despair,

To try is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.

He may avoid suffering and sorrow,

But he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live.

Chained by his servitude he is a slave who has forfeited all freedom. Only a person who risks is free. ~Leo Buscaglia

My dad took risks. And, I’m going to take a risk for Father’s Day this year. Each day from now until June 21 I’m going to pay tribute to and thank some dad I know or have heard about. If you have a candidate, let me know.

And, with any luck, that will turn into one of my next book projects. Send me your dad stories for potential inclusion ... in this column and/or in the book of dads.

Happy Father’s Day!

Carol Ann Amour is founder and director of Creative Education Associates, a consulting firm and provider of resources for education that works toward a bright future for all since 1972. She welcomes questions and suggestions from other curious minds. and can be reached at [email protected] or by calling 715-38-3078.