To fathers.

Who is the butt of jokes on humor-based commercials on TV these days? Dads. The humor makes it seem like they can’t do anything right. Yet men typically take in stride and laugh it off, confident being who they are, flaws included. What those commercials don’t show are the endless times fathers pass knowledge on to their children, because this is where fathers shine. Today, we celebrate the true fathers, especially the ones involved in the upbringing of their children — the ones who play catch, who teach a child to ride a bike, who show a teen how to change a tire and who offer investment advice to the recent college graduate. Not everyone gets to have dads like that. Don’t take them for granted, like on TV. Show your appreciation today.

 

To gum left under seats and tables.

Why do gum chewers who go to dine at restaurants stick their already-been-chewed gum to the underside of seats and tables? Do they just like to be mean to other people? Do they fail to realize that usually a server after closing time has to come along and scrape the gum off? Yuk! Instead, they ought to just do the courteous thing and place the gum in a napkin.

 

To the Minnesota Welcome Center.

It’s a part of Freeborn County that the locals don’t think about very often, yet so many travelers make their way there. The Minnesota Welcome Center is about a mile north of the Iowa border and greets travelers on northbound Interstate 35. What’s cool is that it is one of six rest areas in the state staffed by two state agencies: Minnesota Department of Transportation and Explore Minnesota Tourism. Need a road map of the state? That’s the place to acquire one for free. Plus there are oodles of brochures and pamphlets. The next time you are heading home to Albert Lea, make a pit stop and visit what the visitors are visiting.