Do As I Say, Not As I Do
**Editor’s Note: Exactly one year ago, on April 11, 2012 – I wrote the post below. One year later, my little guy is here, happy and healthy. It’s bugged out reading thoughts I had about fatherhood from before I was actually a father. Figured I’d re-share this with you all today as I reflect on the reality of fatherhood.
A few months ago, I caught the baby fever. Yeah, it happens to men sometimes too. I found myself watching parents with their kids and couldn’t help but picture myself with my own miniature version of myself. I often think about what kind of parent I’ll be and what nuggets of wisdom I’ll pass along when the times comes. I started writing about these thoughts in what I called the Future Father series. The first iteration of the series was “Five Things About Women I’ll Teach My Son,” the second was “Five Things About Men I’ll Teach My Daughter.” This week, I want to pick up where I left off with that series and share the things I’d like to pass along to my son about his interactions with other men.
5: Every Man Needs A Male Best Friend.
Us.
Every Avon needs a Stringer. The downfall of many men has been the lack of a true best friend who is also male. Think about Tiger Woods. Now, be clear, I’m not saying I condone all of the extra-marital foolishness Tiger found himself in. But when it all surfaced, when the text messages and voice-mails started coming from everywhere, the first thing I wondered was where was his best friend. A best friend would have shielded Tiger from a great deal of what he ended up experiencing. He would have made sure Tiger wasn’t giving those women the same phone number he uses to call his mom, he would have made sure Tiger wasn’t falling in love with these other women. More than all of that, a best friend would have told Tiger “Bro, you’re about to lose $600 million raw-dogging these porn stars … it’s time to chill.” That’s what a best friend does, he encourages a healthy amount fun, which sometimes includes foolishness, but he also pulls the reigns when it goes too far. He knows the password to your laptop so that he can clear your browser cache and delete your g-chat history if anything ever happens to you, he knows where all of the bodies are hidden, and should you find yourself someplace you’re not supposed to be, he’s always there to provide an alibi without question or judgment.
"If you’re constantly the source of inspiration for those around you, you’ll come to a point where you realize you’re no longer growing." I love this for both men and women. These words are simply pure truth.
Congratulations on your new addition.
My recent post Is love really enough?
YAY! Congrats on your baby blessing!
Can't wait to read your "the first time ever I saw your face" post, LOL.
Great insight!
You've got some large expectations on your best friend. From the perspective of that guy, I'll say that if I'm the one always bailing you out then eventually I'm probably gonna be wondering why I'm hanging around this dude.
Another thing that comes to mind is don't be "that dude". I don't know how to describe "that dude" but I do know that we all talk about him behind his back and hate to invite him out, yet he always shows up.
My recent post Knapsack Problems
WOW! My baby turned 1 today and I remember reading this while in the hospital! Congrats!
I agree with all points made. I will also add, "Your word is your bond." Always honor your word. A man that can keep his integerity and promise will always be respected.