Things My Dad Taught Me - and The World

[ This is a black and white photo of Stu Crump AKA “Professor Yo-Yo” wielding a Yoyo doing the trick, “Forward Pass,” at the White House Press Room in Washington, D.C. ]

I have previously mentioned that my dad, Stu Crump AKA “Professor Yo-Yo,” died after battling Parkinson’s Disease for over 20 years. I shared the closest thing he had to an obituary, a wonderful tribute made about him on YoYoNews.com 

My dad had vision issues, as I do. And so did my grandpa (who also recently died, after having just turned 100 years old). I think about both of them a lot. I have memories of my grandpa putting in his contact lenses every morning. He was a long time volunteer for his local chapter of The Lion’s Club. I think he volunteered with them from the 1960s through his death in 2021. 

I have memories of my dad “resting his eyes.” His eyes, like mine, got tired, and he would sit up in a comfy chair, and close them to rest them. 

My dad viewed the world differently from the vast majority of people “out there.” My dad taught the world that they all need a cellphone. People laughed at my dad. “Why would anyone need a cellphone when there is a pay phone on every corner?” “Cellphones give you cancer in the brain!” Dad persisted. He worked hard to teach cellphone companies how to market cellphones and get around consumers saying “I don’t want one, I don’t need one.” 

Let’s see if it worked - are you reading this from a cellphone? If so, smile and thank my dad, would you? His name is Stu Crump. Grammatically, I should say “was,” but he is still alive in my heart. So I am saying “is.” I hope you will be okay with my poetic or blog-etic license to choose the verb I want to, in regards to my own dad. 

I had everyone, at my dad’s memorial service, hold up their cellphone to honor him. In the audience was only one person that I know who didn’t have one. She told me about it later. She said, “why would I need a cellphone when everyone around me has one?” I thought that was funny and ironic. And: she’s right. She is no slave to cellphones. Her husband once told me: “she is the most ‘letter-writing’ person I have ever known.” Seems to me she connects with people in the good old-fashioned way of letter writing. How real and wonderful. That is an art that is being lost. 

In the words of Mark Twain (one of my dad’s favorite authors) - “But I digress.” 

So, my dad was a writer, as I am. He taught me everything he could. He was a single dad for the first 8 years of my life. We hung out and did stuff. He read his newspaper. He took me camping and to Boy Scout jamborees. He took me to basketball games and hockey games. He was the small town newspaper reporter, editor and photographer. He knew everyone in town. Wherever we went, he would introduce me to people. “Hey, Sam, this is my daughter, Jodi.” “Beth, come meet my daughter, Jodi.” He knew all the random people in every parking lot and at every playground. He was friends with all of them. 

So, as I am sorting out my life and my possessions, post-move, I have come across a lot of his writings. I want to honor his work. And I am choosing to add a new avenue to my own blog: 

My dad’s weekly column called “Crump’s Corner.” It ran in the Princeton Packet in New Jersey. I will also add other things he has written, as I find them. It is my intention to run one of his columns every month on the first Monday of each month, so long as my ADHD and disorganization doesn’t get in my way. 

I also have plans for at least one of his books. I am trying to figure out the marketing on that. If you know anything about marketing a book, please contact me; I would like to bend your ear. 

I hope you’re already on my How I See Things Facebook page. I invite you to also become a fan of the page I set up to honor my dad on Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/YoYoProfessor 

I just love the way my dad viewed the world, and I want to share it with all of my readers, too. He saw the world in unique ways and taught me to do that, too. And to me, sharing his work fits with the theme of my blog. 

I will be sharing the column in a blog post, all on its own. I hope you enjoy them. I hope you will read them, laugh a bit (the are clever and funny and sometimes quite wise) and comment. 

I hope you’re having a very nice summer.