My father was a whistler. You seldom hear a man whistle these days. Maybe to call a dog or to get someone's attention, but not to whistle a melody. There was a time when cell phones, CDs and DVDs were not available. Whistling was a way to amuse or comfort yourself with a familiar song or hymn.

How do you whistle? It takes some practice and can be either harsh or harmonious. Just put your lips together and say “two.” Now blow. It will take some practice but eventually you will get it right. It will take a while to make enough variety of sounds to whistle a tune.

In years past there were whistling contests. Good whistlers could be heard on the radio, either alone or with a musical accompaniment. I tried and tried but couldn't get much more than a tea kettle sound out of my tired lips. Tired from pursing them together trying to blow a whistle.

My Dad whistled when he was thinking about or worried about something. It was a different sound, a mournful tune. He often said he had enough religion when he was a youngster, but I have heard him whistle “In the Garden” and “Amazing Grace” on more than one occasion.

There was a song he just couldn't stand. It was when “Pistol Packing Mama” was popular. That tune seemed to be everywhere. Dad hated it. Maybe it was a male dominance thing. After all, the lady in the song gunned down her man. Whatever the reason, Dad hated it. If it was on the radio, he changed the station. I knew better than buy a recording of it, even though it was a favorite of mine. It still is. I hum it every now and then.

What I am leading up to is hearing Dad whistling that tune. He couldn't get it out of his head. He would be whistling something or other and sort of work his way into “Pistol Packing Mama.” Then he would stop, cuss up a storm and not whistle for a while.

Isn't it strange what memories stick in your head? I often think of that tune. Dad has been gone almost seventy years, but my hearing it is accompanied with my memory of Dad's frustration when he caught himself whistling it. Do you have a memory of a song like that? Does it bring a smile to your face?