The Whistle Effect

My father’s whistle could be heard all over the neighborhood. My friends recognized it too. They would tell me, “Your dad is looking for you.” I never considered claiming I couldn’t hear it.

I eventually learned to whistle just as loud as him, and used it to bring my daughters home too. But now, grandkids are shepherded home via technology. I reserve the whistle for recitals, sports events, and awards ceremonies. I’m certainly not the only one who can shatter the air, but every time I hear a grand whistle, I smile and think of my dad: “There he is!”

—Mary Jo Ingolia

Schaumburg, Illinois