Too much sentiment? Probably!
It is a beautiful southern California morning and I am up early because my 3 year-old daughter is cranky and wants Figgies and Jammies and cartoons in bed with only mama. I was, therefore, kicked to the kitchen, literally with her tiny foot, in order to fetch them.
I did then returned back down to my perch at the corner of the kitchen’s island that I insisted we cover in zinc so it would be like a grand Parisian zinc bar. But do you know what zinc does near the ocean? Like, do you know how zinc is used on a sailboat? It is used to draw corrosion away from important parts because salt loves to eat zinc. Thus, our island is a pocked mess. An eight thousand dollar disaster born out of my cancerous Francophilia.
Figgies and Jammies are, in any case, the gluten free version of Fig Newtons but somehow and magically twice as good.
And it is, of course, Father’s Day. Before becoming a father myself the day would hold no special meaning. I would call my dad, sure, and we would chat but I chat with him often so my Father’s Day call always felt artificially forced.
Then I had a daughter.
I was talking about it with Matt Warshaw the other day and he said, “Having a child will instantly bond you to all other fathers.” And this is totally and completely true. It is not magical, not like Figgies and Jammies, but something about the ins and outs of raising a baby, watching her grow, feeding her, bathing her, getting kicked by her and receiving the brunt of her cranky attitude fires strange connections with other men who feed, bathe, get kicked and field grumpy.
And this is far too sentimental, especially on your third favorite surf gossip website, but today I would simply like to give a small nod and knowing wink to BeachGrit‘s dads.
That’s all.
Well I dunno about the instant bond thing but I know there are some fucken ugly dads on Facebook today.
I’d settle for hand job this fathers day. From my partner, that is.
Charles, try vaseline on your zinc. My old man has a the same set up, with beautiful french zinc on the kitchen bench and around the sink. And hes at the beach too. Vas will bring the colour back. You are also guaranteed to forget you applied it and get it on your clothes, but it will be worth it.
what does the single middle age man with a deceased father do on this day?
surf all day. troll on line and more importantly off line, and then press restart tomorrow
That T-shirt needs to be framed.
September in Aus.
I thought Chas would be across that.
Bonding with other fathers? I guess, kind of. I have seen ferocious local heavies softened by daughters and felt kinship, or a kind of admiration at paternal softening.
It’s funny, but I feel no bond with other fathers. I think most of them suck.
I’m with you there. My wife is desperate for me to bond with the mothers group dads but I think most of them are tolerable at best. If the only thing you have in common is children why bother.
Your online persona at times suggests you have no bond with Humans in general.
largely true.
are you on the spectrum Troges?
It may depend on how far you drag that spectrum out! Nah, really I’m just a bit of a dick. But really, most people suck – having a baby doesn’t often change that.
My girlfriend certainly sucks less since she got another joey in the pouch. She has hidden my pellet rifle too the miserable wench.
Can someone explain that pic to me?
My 8 year old son has just been explained what sarcasm is… lightbulb moment in his little bright eyes.
He’s making a pretty solid attempt at the artform, but watching him thread the line between being a total dickhead and being sarcastic is worth the price of admission alone.
I wished my father happy fathers day but its not fathers day where he is fathering.
So that’s why i had a bottle of wild turkey thrown at me this morning? Love ya dad. There was even a swig left.