I owe my Ph.D. to my parents

I was wondering how we always think that we are the ones to teach all the technology and gadget related functions to our parents. And that their ways of knowing and practicing things are perhaps outdated.

But I believe we are wrong here.

I remember that my first lesson in using Microsoft Word was from my father - he instilled in me the knowledge and significance of line spacing, alignment, formatting and so on, even though he had himself not used much of Word then. He also had the patience to read multiple drafts of my work so that I would one day not need him or anyone else to proofread my work multiple times. His lessons came from knowing the basics of language writing, composition, and structure.

I also remember how my mother taught me the importance of pronunciation and how to be eloquent in debates and poetry, that people would be mesmerised by your mere presence. I also remember how she would make it to all my performances and then give me 'constructive feedback' and help me improve each subsequent time. 

I basically miss learning from my parents. I did not go to schools where there would be fascinating lessons in language and a personal involvement by teachers to ensure that I had good writing skills for life. So, my parents filled in the gap. They never gave up on me and they still don't. My very first and most important lessons in language came from them.

I for one owe much of my Ph.D. to them.