Comments on: My direction and my purpose http://onbecomingaman.com/2009/03/my-direction-and-my-purpose/ Father's Journey to Find the Missing Manual On Becoming a Man Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:14:27 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.1 hourly 1 By: knowledge http://onbecomingaman.com/2009/03/my-direction-and-my-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-22 knowledge Fri, 27 Mar 2009 05:32:24 +0000 http://onbecomingaman.com/?p=156#comment-22 Thank you Chuck. You got me thinking about several things with your comment. I went to a PTA meeting today at my daughter's school (for which I found out about only a couple of hours before it was to occur) As I sat in that auditorium I went back to my childhood and my performances for other eager parents. My parents never showed up to those events. I believe they felt out of place as I look back at that now. I used to dance in all the Cinco de Mayo celebrations. I still remember wearing a pair of cowboys boots that my father bought for me one year and a cowboy hat. I loved them. I wanted to be like my father. He was my hero. The image of the man I wanted to become. As I sat there in todays PTA event I saw little men filling up the loud little arena. I saw little boys beaming with pride because they were dressed like their fathers. I wept a little. Then my daughter came on stage with her class. It was beautiful. She was front and center. Apparently she was screaming and coaching her class to get the routine correct. This compelled her teacher to put her to where the other children could follow her lead. Pride rushed through my body. On my lap say my youngest daughter. She was scribbling her latest masterpiece: her name. Poor child has a 9 letter name, yet she was able to get it all on one index card. I see how my 2 little ladies want to be like me. Kind of scary actually. Both are getting pretty good at dribbling the basketball. Both enjoy playing with cards and trying to perform sleights of hand. Both enjoy creating masterpieces with their art. And both have a quirky sense of humor that makes me laugh hysterically. This makes me think consciously as to the things I say and do. I am completely aware that these years are critical to their outlook in life as they are making sense of their world. I must improve for my own good. But ultimately I must improve for them. Thank you Chuck. You got me thinking about several things with your comment.

I went to a PTA meeting today at my daughter’s school (for which I found out about only a couple of hours before it was to occur)

As I sat in that auditorium I went back to my childhood and my performances for other eager parents. My parents never showed up to those events. I believe they felt out of place as I look back at that now. I used to dance in all the Cinco de Mayo celebrations. I still remember wearing a pair of cowboys boots that my father bought for me one year and a cowboy hat. I loved them.

I wanted to be like my father. He was my hero. The image of the man I wanted to become.

As I sat there in todays PTA event I saw little men filling up the loud little arena. I saw little boys beaming with pride because they were dressed like their fathers. I wept a little.

Then my daughter came on stage with her class. It was beautiful. She was front and center. Apparently she was screaming and coaching her class to get the routine correct. This compelled her teacher to put her to where the other children could follow her lead. Pride rushed through my body. On my lap say my youngest daughter. She was scribbling her latest masterpiece: her name. Poor child has a 9 letter name, yet she was able to get it all on one index card.

I see how my 2 little ladies want to be like me. Kind of scary actually. Both are getting pretty good at dribbling the basketball. Both enjoy playing with cards and trying to perform sleights of hand. Both enjoy creating masterpieces with their art. And both have a quirky sense of humor that makes me laugh hysterically.

This makes me think consciously as to the things I say and do. I am completely aware that these years are critical to their outlook in life as they are making sense of their world. I must improve for my own good. But ultimately I must improve for them.

]]> By: Chuck G http://onbecomingaman.com/2009/03/my-direction-and-my-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Chuck G Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:49:56 +0000 http://onbecomingaman.com/?p=156#comment-20 For me, the birth of my first born was a true self realization. It is unfortunate that many fathers do not feel the commitment, the awe inspiring event of fatherhood. It is not being a father, but fatherhood which help define my role as a man. Here is the chorus to Atkins Rodney's "Watching You". I've been listening to too much country music lately. He said, "I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that cool? I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you. And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are. We got cowboy boots and camo pants Yeah, we’re just alike, hey, ain’t we dad? I want to do everything you do. So I’ve been watching you." For me, the birth of my first born was a true self realization. It is unfortunate that many fathers do not feel the commitment, the awe inspiring event of fatherhood. It is not being a father, but fatherhood which help define my role as a man. Here is the chorus to Atkins Rodney’s “Watching You”. I’ve been listening to too much country music lately.

He said, “I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that cool?
I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
We got cowboy boots and camo pants
Yeah, we’re just alike, hey, ain’t we dad?
I want to do everything you do.
So I’ve been watching you.”

]]> By: knowledge http://onbecomingaman.com/2009/03/my-direction-and-my-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-21 knowledge Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:49:23 +0000 http://onbecomingaman.com/?p=156#comment-21 Thank you for the comment. I enjoy conversation. Especially one in which both can benefit.I almost always come up with a better idea once somebody challenges the one I had in my mind already. ps I enjoy your blog. Keep it up. Thank you for the comment. I enjoy conversation. Especially one in which both can benefit.I almost always come up with a better idea once somebody challenges the one I had in my mind already.

ps
I enjoy your blog. Keep it up.

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