Father's Day

Today was Father's Day and throughout the day, I did reflect a little about being a father, what it means to me, and what it should mean.

Where does one learn about fatherhood? If you grew up in an intact home, you learn from your father. If not, then you have a problem. You could watch TV and try to emulate Homer Simpson, though he's not exactly a role model.

Let's see here...Let's find a positive manly role-model in the media...

Nope. I couldn't think of any, either. Men are portrayed as either pyschopathic killers (Rambo) or lazy, stupid, bumbling oafs (Tim Allen from Home Improvement).

Have men forgotten how to be men? People don't even call us men anymore. They call us "males." A man is a male human being, and referring to us as "males" is by definition dehumanizing. I want you to think about that when you listen to the radio or watch television. Maybe you'll pay closer attention to the words people choose to use. Ask yourself: What is the underlying purpose of this subtle, but ubiquitous dehumanization?

So, now that I've got that out of my system what does it mean to be a father? It means having an enormous amount of patience and understanding. It means caring and going out of your way to do things for the ones you love. It means that your wife and your child are dear and that nothing else comes close to being as important. It means having a set of values that you try to live by and pass on.

It also means you are willing to commit acts of extreme and devastating violence to protect those that you love. Take a cue from Odysseus: If you don't stand up and kill the bunch of uninvited thugs in your home, who will?