Saturday, June 18, 2011

Let's Be Fathers Today....

I presume everyone has heard about Adam Mansbach's new book, Go the Bleep to Sleep, by now. There's an audiobook version out with the Samuel L. Jackson at the microphone; he's great in just about everything, and I'm sure he's great in this.

Now, I'm sure I'll read, maybe even own a copy at some point, Walter the Farting Dog won me over, after all, but I'm really looking for something else in these books. Not that the book isn't funny, or isn't well-written, but I'd also like to have a Father's Day in which fathers are not absent, or caricature, or sitcomically self-absorbed. Where are the books that celebrate the spectacular mundanity of fatherhood?

In my experience, books intended for or about fathers revel in their ignorance of pregnancy, birth and rearing, start and end with religious intent, or are specific to a small segment of fathers. A few (the Armin Brott series, most notably). Fathers' Day "poems" are gooey verses that also celebrate our shortcomings more than anything that might be called a strength.

Is it possible I'm the only one interested in writing this space? Or reading about it? I hope not. So let me exhort my peer group this way: Fellow fathers, take this pledge with me today: Let's stay on the road to being the fathers we've never stopped hoping we'd be, and let's talk about the trip.

Happy Father's Day to all who celebrate. May you have moments your children will talk until net Father's Day.

Fellow fathers, take this pledge with me today: Let's be the fathers we've never stopped hoping we'd be.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Bits for Early June

My kids keep a list of "Things you would never expect to hear in conversation". On that note, I find myself asking "Is it possible to be friends with something other than a human being?" Facebook forces me to conclude that no, it's not possible (certain large domestic animals excepted). That's probably a bit self-defeating, I know.....

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In the middle of "The Reading Promise" by Alice Ozma. Subject hits close to my heart. Best line so far: "It takes a certain type of child to develop a crippling, life-changing fear of the corpse of John F. Kennedy."....

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The Mets are kind of an analog for my artistic year to date: Not great, moments of wonder, better than reasonably hoped for, but not exceptional. Worth contining to root for, though....

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Just finished celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday with bowling and chinese food. Another reason I can't join in the traditional badmouthing of the mothers-in-law during office small talk....

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Studying for the PMP exam at present. First really major educational challenge I've set for myself in a long time (other than the pathological need to learn something new - even something useless - every day). Will be back to collect your wishes, vibes and mojo as the event presents itself more imminently.

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As Father's Day approaches, I ask myself what kind of father I have been so far. Well, when I remarked earlier today about the weather that "It's cold and it's damp", my kids replied in song. In unison.

I'm good with that.