A Dad's Point-of-View

A recent e-mail from my oldest friend, a college professor, stimulated me to reflect on how we search and find work, as well as in small business how we promote and sell ourselves.

Even if it was said as a joke, the damage is forever. Further, an apology to the victim won't repair the potential damage to the collective circle of friends and acquaintances.

Remembering Chevy Chase in those summer vacation movies reminds me of the fact that most so-called 'family vacations' are, at best, vacations for the kids and torture for the parents.

I'm sure you catch just a little sarcasm in the title of today's column. Patience has and is my biggest personal struggle. With me, with others, with the world at large.

I take things too personally. Having this deficiency is truly toxic when you are raising kids or beginning a new marriage, both of which define my present state of affairs.

I think the hardest lesson for me in becoming a parent was learning to let go of my expectations for my sons. Okay, I'll be completely honest; I've only been able to partially let go of them.

A recent visit to an old friend's beautiful new home triggered a brief moment of envy for me. While I was extremely happy and proud of his accomplishment in creating such a lovely home, with so much care and detail...

What an interesting contemporary question: will our kids ever leave? I left home at sixteen to go away to college and never returned, except for visits.

How much stress can a new relationship survive? I am fond of quoting the cliché that most of us would rather keep our own problems vs. trade with someone else.

One of the most endearing experiences we had on our African safari and honeymoon was no, not all the mating animals we coincidentally encountered, but a playful incident among lion cubs.

One of the most endearing experiences we had on our African safari and honeymoon was no, not all the mating animals we coincidentally encountered, but a playful incident among lion cubs.

We were thoroughly excited, with my only concern being leaving GuitarHero (my 15-year-old) and JugHead (my 12-year-old) with an adult friend, for so long, with us so far away.

The momentum carried the car into a front side flip, spiraling over once or twice (no one knows for sure as no one witnessed it), landing right side up, facing the opposite direction.

I keep learning this great lesson. It's something I know, but seem to have to experience repeatedly for it to sink into my stubborn head.