Welcome to Tales by Tom - This collection is a group of 24 stories under the title of Nobody Likes a Proofreader and Other Lessons I Have Learned During and After a Life in Retail.This epsode includes stories # 11 and #12. Story number 11 is entitled, “The 25-year diary and the wee voice.” I started a diary to an unborn child of mine and stopped when he moved to Florida to begin a career 25 years --- and 3,000,000 words later. The story of the diary was featured on the Today Show on October 10, 2001 and the 3:38 minute segment was introduced by Katie Couric. It also aired on NPR for Father’s Day. It could easily be called “fatherhood one day at a time.”Story12 is a simple story of high expectations. It also is a story about what can happen when need and self-respect meet head on in the same room at the same time.Thanks to all of you who listen and comment --- Joyce for the tears, Karen for understanding how dear those little books were in A voice from beyond the grave.   You would not disappoint me if you told a friend about the the story and the site ….like Gene Lupi has done.Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or at the listener call in line at 206 339 5456.