My Dad Makes Me Super Cool

You know, when you are an introvert, it's great to have parents who are the life of the party...b/c then attention is deflected off of you personally, and when approached, you have a semblance of cool b/c the life of the party is your mom or dad...

(clearly, my definition of cool is perhaps limited, but i am what i am)

One thing that made me super cool (in my own eyes) as a kid is that my dad is the original voice on the Speak & Spell (hereafter referred to as the SNS). Yes. My dad is awesome.  He has also done other notable and awesome things in his life, all of which I am very proud.

Apparently, I'm not the only one that thinks so.

I got an email from Beloved Father warning me that I would be contacted by the intrepid reporter from something or other (still not clear on what it's for, but clearly important nonetheless).  I was happy to oblige - I'm getting interviewed! Yay! Some of my dad's celebrity is trickling down to me, and I'm reaping the benefits of stuff I did not do! People care what I think!

Anyway. This piece is about how he is the voice on the SNS, and how awesome that is, and so intrepid reporter wanted my views on what it was like growing up playing with the SNS, and subsequently, the joy my own children experience knowing their very own Paka is robotically speaking at them through a toy.

So I got the call today, and answered her questions.  The following is clearly not an exact transcript, and will contain many of my thoughts as actual conversation b/c frankly it makes it more interesting.

I give you

---- My Moment In the Sun ----

starring: Intrepid Reporter (IR) as the...um...intrepid reporter...don't know why I've gotten so stuck on that phrase
           Me as myself


setting: my car in the parking lot at the mall b/c the IR called me later than she said she would


-----
IR: Hi! I'm so excited to talk to you about your dad!

Me: Yes....me too.

IR: So. Tell me all about what it was like playing with the SNS as a kid knowing it was your dad's voice!

Me: Um...it was great.

IR: Did you ever spell funny words like "fart" to hear your dad say them back to you?!!

Me: *crickets chirping - who the heck knows what i spelled on a SNS when I was 5* haha. I guess I probably did. I don't really remember that.  It was a very long time ago.

IR: Did you know that the SNS is featured in the something-or-other museum?!!! What do you think about your dad being in a museum?!!!

Me: Um... cool.

IR: So you have kids?!!! Do they like to play with the SNS?!!!

Me: Yes. yes they do. they think it's awesome. you know (beginning to pull things out o' the rear here) my dad has always thought education to be important, and being on the SNS is clearly another way that he shows that...

IR: How do you feel knowing that your dad is helping kids and has helped kids learn to read?!!!

Me: Cool. Feel free to make me sound smarter than I am (I actually said that at one point)  You know, as I mentioned, education and reading is really important to him. He even volunteered with disadvantaged youth at my school when I was a kid. He's awesome.

IR: Great!
*end scene*

So many things can come of this. I can come off sounding like an adoring daughter who admires her father's love of education and philanthropy...or a big tool...either way, he comes out a winner.

*and clearly, the IR was a very nice girl, and any nuance of character that may have come across in the retelling is purely of my own imagination to make the story more interesting*


Love you Dad!