My father taught me to stay a kid as long as possible.  While both of my parents made sure to instill a strong work ethic in my brother and me, my dad once helped me ditch school. The day before my 13th Birthday, he pulled me out of class in the middle of the day to get ice cream, go to a park, and just “be a kid one more day” before the horror of being a teenager began.. . . . Being an adult is realizing it’s not all about you. There are bills you need to pay, events you have to attend, and chores you need to complete.  No one cares if you feel like doing these things, you just do them.  . . . Education is key.  No if, ands, or buts.  And no one said it would be easy, so complaining will get you nowhere. . . And perhaps the most important thing I’ve learned from my father: If you’re daddy’s little girl, and you’re away at college, daddy will understand if you rack up a little credit card debt.  But if most of this debt is from Victoria’s Secret, he won’t be so understanding!
Meghan McCormick, Towson

When I started driving, my father took me out to the car, showed me every part, hose, and wire, and told me how everything worked. He showed me how to change a flat tire, how to change my oil, how to replace my spark plugs and windshield wipers, and how to know if my car needed a tune-up . . . My father taught me to drive with a manual transmission, which I still think is the coolest skill in the world.  . . . I consider a manual transmission the best theft deterrent there is, even better than Lojack.
Gynene Sullivan, Baltimore