It was an interesting and insightful task to transcribe my dad’s diary, which he began when he was just 18 years old. He was the oldest of 9, so had the responsibility of life on the farm early on. Because of this, in the diary he seems older than 18. He kept the diary up for 3 years. It was sobering for me to read through the tough times he experienced. Through it all, he did not complain, just accepted the way things were. I recall dad jumping directly from the problem at hand to the solution without wasting time or energy bemoaning the situation. Reading the diary added depth to my understanding of dad, and also validated who I already knew he was.
