Stigll KCMO Podcast - Archive: June 2008

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Richard from Lansing won our "Who's Your Daddy" contest. Hear his interview with Chris and read about this remarkable father!

Daddy winner.mp3

A long, long time ago, I had a golf game. I had a career, too. That was before I had children. I gave it all up to become the man I am today, a 43-year-old full time, stay-at-home, home schooling father of three children: General Mayhem, Major Havoc, and Captain Chaos. It occurred to me recently that at age 43 General George Washington took control of the Continental Army. At age 43, John F. Kennedy told this nation to “ask not what the country could do for you.” At age 43 you’re likely to find me carrying my daughter’s princess wand in public after two ounces of molded plastic becomes too heavy for her to carry. It’s quite the sight to see, all 6’2”/240 pounds of me running through the mall, princes wand in hand, chasing after the kids. Women smile politely. Men avert their eyes. I know that my man card can be revoked for this.
It’s not uncommon for my children to follow me through the house, one room behind, un-cleaning. In between teaching lessons to my fifth grader, I perform all of the household duties, only to discover that previously organized rooms have been unpacked by the Major and the Captain. One of Captain Chaos’ favorite pastimes is to add as many toys as she can to our aquarium. Her record is 12 colored pencils, five wooden stringing beads, 2 View Master Discs and a Pez Dispenser. I frequently find the goldfish cowering in the corner of the tank. Life with the Captain has been an unending string of doctor’s appointments, therapist visits, and medicinal schedules. When she was four months old she suffered a heart attack and a stroke due an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. We’ve worked hard to bring her through her recovery, but I still have to remind myself that when she acts like a normal four year old and draws on my freshly painted living room walls with a purple crayon, I should be grateful. I prayed for this. I scrub the walls and chalk it up to successful therapy.
In July my wife deploys to Iraq for a five month tour as a civilian Operations Research Analyst for the US Army. I get to do this dad–thing without the break of having my spouse return home in the evening. On a tough day she arrives at home to find me talking to myself in the corner of the kitchen. “Having a parent-teacher conference?” she asks. Her biggest fear is that I will finish each day that she is gone by diving into a 40 ounce bottle of Old English 800, which you can still find at the local distillery for a buck forty, complete with the mandatory brown paper bag. It’s tempting.
Do I deserve to win two rounds of golf and the other assorted prizes in this contest? I don’t know. I haven’t golfed in so long that I might be dangerous on the golf course. I’ll be the one yelling “Watch you ankles!” instead of “Four!” when I tee-off, for all of the worm burners I’m certain to hit. There may be fathers who do more for their children, who lead more interesting lives, and who have more to offer their children. I do know that my days are both chaotic and fulfilling, and I wouldn’t have them any other way.