Today I am a Ham

Today I am a Ham by Ethelyn M. Parkinson (1968) The book by my favorite author that I didn’t have, and didn’t think I’d get, since it seems it’s gotten collectable or rare—I don’t know—hard to find and a bit expensive. But my brother found it for me—quite a thoughtful gift. Maybe ham radio stories are kind of niche market, since they’ve got to be somewhat scarce—though I’m sure there are plenty of ham operators out there, still. I didn’t get into that anything like this, amateur radio, as a hobby, as a kid—I think my friend’s brother might have. The story is set in a small Midwestern town—and since Ethelyn M. Parkinson was from Green Bay, Wisconsin, we can picture it up there. It’s another portrait of an interesting family—similar to Rupert Piper’s and Trent Conway’s (from her other books)—but in this one, the main character, Eric, who’s in junior high, has three older sisters—well-defined characters who are hilarious in how different they all are. Their dad is over-zealous sports coach, and Eric worries that he’s letting his dad down by not being athletic—he’s a ham radio nerd! I think my favorite character is the mother, who navigates her nutty family and a busy-body neighbor with cool and humor—maybe she reminds me of my own mother, in a way. My other favorite is an electrical supply shop owner and local musician they call Mean John—if you’ve known this kind of eccentric, you’ll recognize him. Eric spends much time and effort both trying to raise money for his radio gear, and learning the skills needed to get licensed and excel at it. Since I know nothing about amateur radio, I don’t know how accurate or in-depth it is, but there’s a lot of jargon and slang—easy to follow even knowing nothing about it. I wonder if ham radio enthusiasts like the book? As far as the drama, you can see the various resolutions coming down Fifth Avenue, but no matter—it’s still a lot of fun—while having good insights into family chemistry that are pretty universal—while also being particular and quirky.

4.25.23