Every Follicle Is Part of the Solution
Fatherhood on Friday: Betting your self-worth on fixing the unfixable is destined to fail. Be like Theodore Roosevelt and grow a mustache.
Now that Dad 2.0 Digital is over, we’re focused on the reality of what’s next. And that can seem a daunting chore, since each day can feel like an ever-lengthening to-do list. Projects to complete (or start), errands to run, problems to fix.
That last one can be a real kick in the teeth, since a lot of us dads are hard-wired to “fix” things that are simply unfixable. We can re-pave a hole in the driveway, for example, but holes in our relationships are thornier problems, because they’re not just about us. Given a self-imposed binary directive of “fix or fail” sets us up for inevitable failure, followed by tailspins of inadequacy.
The answer, then, is to fight a problem by doing our best to be part of the solution, and by embracing Theodore Roosevelt’s famous line: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” (Even if where you are is stuck in your house.)
For us, this means hosting digital conferences of our own and supporting others like Dad@Home Con, in order to energize and promote the work of modern fathers. It means taking part in campaigns like the #HowRightNow initiative (see below), which wants parents to keep talking about the stress and anxiety we face daily. And it means once again joining up with Life of Dad, City Dads Group, and the National At-Home Dad Network for Movember, to fund research into improving men’s mental and physical health.
If you’d like to help by growing a mustache, committing to a fitness regimen, or sending our team a few bucks, please click here. It won’t necessarily fix anything, but we’re happy to settle for the short-term benefit of doing good works.
ON THE PODCAST: Casey Palmer Opened the Big Door
For Episode 52, we celebrated Thanksgiving in Canada with Torontonian Casey Palmer, who talks about revamping his SEO strategy, raising biracial sons, and deciding that “PR-friendliness” isn’t worth muzzling your truth. This episode was sponsored by Mediavine and Constant Contact.
IN THE NEWS
Yesterday, we participated in a campaign for the #HowRightNow initiative, which helps parents take 10–15 minutes each day to focus on alleviating stress, anxiety, or sadness during COVID.
Matthew McConaughey says being a father was his only dream. Which is notable, since he’s realized a lot of them.
What started as a simple strategy to de-clutter his kitchen became a YouTube video, a sponsor’s support, and messages of gratitude from teachers, parents, and students all over the county.
One of the first things Lindsay Torres will do as a married woman is donate her stem cells to treat her dad’s leukemia.
“Garage Talk” is gathering a following on Facebook, but Kyle hopes these live videos teach his 10-year-old daughter Bernie “to be confident and kind.”
Three photos staged with his daughter, in the same pose at the same spot over 25 years, have gone viral, but he’s just happy “so many people can see how proud I am of her.”
Steven Thomas, who was born on Halloween , grows a full pumpkin patch for his daughter every year.
This graphic listing the best times to post on various social media platforms is food for promotional thought. Set your schedules accordingly.
From our friend Julie Jargon: Lots of great tips about remote learning that will help minimize facepalming and headdesking.
PORCHLIGHT POSTS
“My dad gave me the gift of a lifetime; he took me to the seventh game of the 1960 World Series.” — Evans Paull, Thanks, Dad, for the gift of a lifetime
“We don’t live only within the physical confines of the house. Our home is the world in which we live. It needs a lot of repair.” — David Stanley, A Michigan Letter in Fall. October 2020
“We’d worked so hard. He’d come so far. When he was in college, he had soared. I would not let him crash back to earth, defeated.” — Michael Beckett, The Long Road to Fatherhood
“My father took a long break from his job to accompany me as I drove 45,000 miles, shook tens of thousands of hands and knocked on thousands of doors.” — Ted Ladd, Losing An Election: Observations From The Candidate And His Father
“As the pandemic stretches on, we’ll need to frame things in this appreciative way to make the most of the hand we’ve been dealt.” — Jordan Salama, We Still See Silver Linings
‘GRAM OF THE WEEK
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Originally published at https://dad2.com on October 16, 2020.
