Dear Spike:
I'm having a bit of trouble envisioning myself as a dad (your mother, by the way, is having similar issues — in fact, she's having a particularly grand amount of trouble envisioning herself giving birth and I can't rightly blame her, I mean sheeeez, have you seen those videos? Yeeuck!)
Back in high school my soccer coach, Ed Limon, always said that in order to win we had to be able to first envision ourselves winning. Sure enough, we all closed our eyes real hard and imagined real good and...
... well, we still were lousy.
Still, I'm sure Coach Ed probably maybe sort of knew what he was talking about. Trouble is, my imagination isn't quite as good as it once was, so I think I'm going to need a little help.
Over the next few weeks I'm going to be scouring my hard drive for photographs of me looking 'dadly' — or at very least looking as if I don't frighten the bejeezus out of little kids.
This pic is from Iraqi Kurdistan (though by the time you are able read this, it might very well be called something else.) These kids followed me and my friend, a very talented photographer named Rick Egan, around for hours.
In retrospect, I understand it was because they hadn't seen many Americans before — and certainly not many who weren't wearing military uniforms — but at this moment, I really need to believe it was because they thought I was approachable, likable and wise.
Heck, I'll settle for approachable.
Love,
dad
2 comments:
Jarrod and I had similar feelings for our first few months of pregnancy. What kind of parents would we be? Were we ready for this? Did medical science really expect me to push something the size of a watermelon out of something stretched to the size of a lemon?
The most mind-bending, solidifying experience was hearing our child, OUR CHILD'S heartbeat for the first time (around 13-15 weeks with a special stethoscope, or if you get an ultrasound around weeks 6-8, you'll be able to see it on the screen).
After that, all your doubts will wash away. We have no idea what kind of parents we'll be, but we know that we hopelessly love that child.
I would suggest that maybe that's all any of us need.
You're approachable and likeable.
No comment on wise.
(You know I'm kidding, and that I think you're all three.)
I am so excited to keep reading this. Please don't stop posting here! I know it's not for me, but I love reading it.
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