Day: June 22, 2026

Can’t win them all, right?

I find myself in a particular moment of spiritual funk. See, I’ve been struggling with the idea of whether or not I am a good father. I don’t have a lot to go on here. I see these guys on TV. I know a bunch of other dads, but my own experience ended between my 11th and 12th year. Yesterday I was talking with the Lady Talis about this video I saw where three boys and their dad did a privilege walk based on what their father did and was a part of. The three boys moved across the room fluidly answering question after question in the affirmative. The father never moved. I would not have moved either. My kids would have moved just a fast as the ones on screen.

My kids have not seen the video. They might need to.

All of this is to say that my youngest completely disrespects me and uses me like an ATM. Never once in the entirety of our existence has he ever said, “how are you doing?” or made a personal effort to put me in a situation of gratitude. Case and point: when asked by a college team to fly out and attend a practice, he came to me and asked if I would pay for it. I did. When offered a free visit and the whole wine and dine by 4 different teams he never once offered to bring me or the wife along. That honor went to his mom and his aunt… His aunt. A person who has not raised him and on top of it curses my name every chance she gets. Often directly to his face and mine.

So, I have decided that it is in my best interests and his to no longer allow this disrespect. I’m done with it. No more free rides. I love him. I support him. I’m not going to let him be the kid who treats his dad like crap.

Some Thoughts:

1. Absolutely Bonkers Headline of the Day: “Family finds large snake hiding behind living room TV” The more I read about Australia, the more I am convinced to never ever go there.

Reading the news is the worst part of my day. It is hard to avoid noticing the latest Trump blunder, be it unhinged threats towards a nation he thinks he can bully or attacks on a foreign leader who doesn’t act like they praise him. While I understand how we got to this place (racism and a sense most uneducated white voters feel that they are losing their power and place in this country) I don’t truly get how we’ve gone so far off the rails that it feels like we, as a country, are okay with so much nonsense happening and do little to slow it.

Politics. Hard to avoid that crap isn’t it?

I’m doing a much better job avoiding it when I avoid news and the internet in large. Life might be better that way. If I only tune in for the essentials I might find more inner peace. I’m moving towards that scenario slowly. I cannot totally go dark. I am a professor after all.

Some Thoughts:

1. Absolutely Bonkers Headline of the Day: “Trump tries to blame Reflecting Pool woes on vandalism, without offering substantiation” Do you think that if he accepts one L then the rest will sneak in after? Or has he reached a level of delusion where he is entirely incapable of seeing fault in his own actions or, more likely, he just puts up a front because he’s quite a baby and really really sad and broken inside?