Sarah Vowell, How her parent's shaped her life.

Sarah Vowell's family moved from the country into a more town like atmosphere when she was eleven.  It was here that she began to grow into the writer that everyone knows now.  This is  the time frame where she began to think for herself.  This is also the time frame in which she begins to question what others are saying, and to debate.  Sarah's father shapes her into an artistic writer who thinks for herself and voices her opinions clearly, with a great devotion and work ethic in her career.

Sarah and her father had many debates when she was young, which as she got older helped her to be able to communicate so clearly as a writer.  The two would argue about the Constitution, politics and everything in between. When a child is in constant debate, they become very opinionated or quiet.  In this case Sarah, choose the first option.  By her and father debating all of the time as a child, she grew up to become very opinionated.  A writer needs to be sharp, and have the skills to be able to debate and form opinions at will.  Sarah's father taught her to have her own opinion, and be able to express it.

When a person is in constant argument, they become sharp witted.  I am sure that this is what happened to Sarah as she was growing up.  When I read the story "Shooting Dad", I heard a strong voice in the writing.  I believe that the voice I "heard' was the voice that she learned from her father.

When Sarah was growing up her parents let her decide what was important to her.  This freedom of choice let her become the person she is now, the writer.  Had her parents pushed sports, or had her father made her shoot/hunt with the rest of the family, she may have not become the writer.  Her father let her follow her passion, like he followed his.

He taught her that devotion, and dedication will bring success, and happiness.When a child sees a parent being proactive, the child has a better chance of being proactive as well. Her father had a love of firearms, and he let her have her love, writing.  

As a child Sarah would spend hours in her music room, just like her father who would spend hours in his shop.   This showed her that being so involved in what she was doing was OK.  Had her parents not been OK with her being by herself, reading ,  she may not of become the writer she is. By letting her be herself and not making her be someone else, they helped to shape into who she is now, the artist and the writer.

Sarah says it best herself in the story "Shooting Dad", "Were both  smart-alecky loners with goofy projects and weird equipment".  That statement tells me that her father played a huge role in Sarah's life as a child and as an adult.