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Best advice:
1. I cut it off twice and it’s still too short (in German). Good planning.
2. You need that like you need another hole in your head. Thrift.
3. Do NOT call your Mom “she.” Chivalry.
4. Enrolling me in a high school typing course. WAY before computers and from a guy who never touched a keyboard in his life!
5. Enrolling me in Junior Achievement in high school. That was my first introduction to the wonders of capitalism and entrepreneurialism.
6. Buying me a Popular Science subscription; buying me a Visible V8 model; keeping a good workshop — all gentle nudges to go into engineering for a career.
7. Having me help him at an early age with all sorts of home improvement projects and teaching the value of a dollar by paying me. Learning g the value of working with your hands.
8. Maybe the most important of all was watching Dad get so much out of life golfing, befriending everybody, crazy fun water skiing, poker with his buddies, being real nice to his in laws. He was everybody’s friend. People just loved having Dad around.

Worst advice
1. I was 27 in 1977 and had just paid $100,000 for my first house in Palo Alto, a 900 sq ft cracker box (including a one car garage) on 1/7 acre — “Son, that is the STUPIDEST thing you’ve ever done.” Dad had never paid more than $45,000 for a huge colonial on 3/4 acre.

He was a great guy...I often wish I could talk with him again. Lord, life is short.

We are going to visit Dad’s 96 year old brother in mid-July. They weren’t much alike, but I look forward to our visits with my uncle, the very last of that generation still alive.