My Life Stories

by: Phillip Warren Radtke

Storyworth hardcover 355 pages

Published: 2024 (Storyworth)

Genre: memoir

My BFF from childhood on loaned me her dad's Storyworth book. I enjoyed reading it and am even mentioned a few times. (Jenifer and I did spend a LOT of time at one another's houses in the 1970s and 80s.)

In his answer to "Do you prefer summer or winter?" Phil made me laugh. As he was talking about the different seasons and what he liked, the repetition of weeds or no weeds culminated in "I DON'T LIKE WEEDS!!!" 

I liked how much he respected his parents. For years, I struggled to understand who raised him. Hearing "Ma and Pa Waknitz" always made me think Phil's grandparents had raised him. But when his mom died, Phil's dad had sisters who took in his sons. Louie and Martha took Don. Charley and Marie took Dean. At almost two years old, Phil went to August and Emma Waknitz. 

In "What games did you play when you were young?" Phil wrote about the fun he had with his brothers, cousins, and neighbor kids. He ends the section with, "Life was much simpler in those days. You worked hard, you played hard and you listened to Ma and Pa. Mostly Ma :)"

In "How did you figure out how to be a parent?" Phil said "I'm still working on it. :) A lot of it is what you see and experience by example. Being raised by loving and caring people sets the tone of how you learn to live." He has some nice wisdom here.

Reading the section dedicated to Jenifer made tears well up in my eyes. He ended it with, "I like to tell people that I spoiled you for sixteen years and you have been spoiling me ever since."

I enjoyed reading Phil's stories. One thing I noticed that I'm pretty sure happened in my book too was the repetition of certain stories or elements. It's hard to cull those out! I also wish Jenifer had taken me up on my offer to proofread before publishing. There were little spelling and grammar errors that don't detract from the stories, but make this English teacher do a mini cringe. (Things like "dinning" instead of "dining" room . . . ) Ah well. Most people aren't as picky as I am about that. I loved reading Phil's reminiscences and am so glad he wrote them down! I wish I had more of my parents' stories.