Let's Hear It For Dads

There are a lot of great dads out there and this Father's Day, Campbell Patch wants to showcase them.

We want it all: photos, heartfelt memories, funny stories, that wise dad advice you've learned over the years.

Tell us about your awesome dad by emailing mayra.marcotte@patch.com. Your submissions will run on Father's Day, this Sunday, June 19. (Don't forget your card/coffee mug/tie present!)

And to kick things off, I'll tell you a little about my dad.

My Dad immigrated into the United States more than 35 years ago. He came in the trunk of a car, in search of a better life. He is a college graduate, with a degree in accounting from a major university in Mexico but when he first arrived in California, he washed cars at the various dealerships on Stevens Creek Boulevard for a living.

So many years later, thanks to the amnesty and immigration reform of 1986 signed by then-President Ronald Reagan, my dad (and mom) became US Residents. And as soon as they could qualify, both became US Citizens.

One of my dad's favorite stories to tell us as kids was about the time when he was first learning English. He had been working at the dealerships for some time and frequented a local cafe. He learned the phrase "Coffee and donut, please" and ordered that every time he came in.

He would tell us, "I was so tired of having coffee and donuts that I needed to learn another item on the menu there, so I figured out how to say 'Burger and fries.' He had finally mustered up the courage to try out his newly acquired phrase and felt proud when the waitress took his order, but when she asked how he would like his burger cooked, he didn't know how to respond. So he hung his head and muttered the dreaded "Coffee and donuts, please" instead.

It was stories like this one (and there were thousands of stories like this) that are a big reason why I became a journalist. My dad has a way with people, strangers especially, that leaves them walking away as friends, creating a network of people that is so numerous, I gave up on keeping track.

Forget facebook friends and acquaintances, he's the real deal. Everywhere I go with him, he always knows someone and someone always remembers him. He has a way with words, a deep respect for everyone he meets, regardless of their current status or appearance that it is hard to leave him without a smile on your face.

And those stories stick with you.

So thank you, Dad, for teaching me how to tell a story and how to interact with others, building a real-life social network.

Happy Father's Day.