Dear Editor:
I laughed when I read Kate Zimmerman's June 2 column, Put Your Lips Together to Gather the Clan. When I was a teenager I learned to whistle by placing two fingers from each hand in my mouth (not the most hygienic of whistles, I know), and rolling back my tongue, to create a very loud, controlled whistle. Its strength would surprise people and I was often called upon to use it to call the attention of groups of people at gatherings.
As my two boys grew up, I started to used the same three syllable, two note whistle in various environments: parks and large outdoor events (the PNE, parades etc.) to catch their attention if we got separated or they were too far away. I used it when they forayed into the neighborhood and I couldn't see or hear them and it was time to come home. It worked every time.
My 20-year-old son uses it every now and then to catch my attention and when he does, we catch each other's eye and smile, realizing the irony.
Thanks for writing about the family whistle.
Michele McKnight North Vancouver
