10 Things I've Learned (or not) About Being a Dad

Mary Catherine at Duke vs. NC State, February 2012

So, I intended to write this on Father's Day, obviously, I'm a little behind.  My sixth celebration of this day, I'm trying to reflect on what I have learned, and what I still need to know as a Dad.  I suspect, I know very little actually, but here's what I know to date (or not).

1. There is nothing more valuable than my time I can give to my daughter.  I often bring a gift home form my frequent travel (guilt), but everything pales to the hour I spend with her in her swing set.

2. I cannot do hair.  I've finally figured out a ponytailer, but I can see the smirks of the mom's and teachers when I drop her at school thinking, Shannon must be traveling...

3. When did we all stop skipping?  We should start again!

4. Reading is the door to discovery.  Even if your favorite book is currently a joke book (why do hummingbirds hum?  Because they don't know the words...har!).

5. Spongebob is a philosophical genius!  Kierkegaard what?

6. Our children are not only digital natives, their paradigms are shaped by technology.  they will never use computers as they expect interfaces to work with them.  Keyboards and a mouse (mice?) are cumbersome input devices compared to touch and voice.  See the world through this view to understand the future.

7. I've realized that our daughter can and will adopt those parts of our personalities that are most annoying.  The mirror is and unfriendly yet motivating tool.

8. I heart college basketball, especially of the Duke variety.  I'm on a very special mission to introduce Mary Catherine to this obsession once a year in person.  I'm sure she will end up in Chapel Hill just to spite me, but I'm trying.

9. Creativity is the door to conversation.  We build robots, cover most surfaces in glitter and explore the social interactions between various groups of stuffed animals.  This is uninterrupted sharing time with my daughter.  (note: Elmer's is a client.  This combined with TCBY and Smarties pretty much means I have the coolest job in the planet).

10. My father gave me the gift of travel, albeit frequently via ling distance drives in a car with skeptical air conditioning.  It was the best gift ever, and i will always be thankful for this.  I will pay that forward, there is no better learning experience than experiencing worlds and cultures outside your own.