When I told my friend I was going to start a blog about being a cool dad, she asked me whom I was going to get to write it. I guess coolness is in the eye of the beholder. I always thought of myself as reasonably cool. I have tattoos. I ride a motorcycle. I work on engines, do some welding and have broken bones over the years doing things like motocross, and surfing. I am educated and work as a teacher in a high school. I have heard students refer to me as cool, doesn’t that qualify me? So there you have it, my friend, I am now going to be the writer of this blog.
In this blog I am going to explore what happens to cool guys when they become fathers. In this first posting, I want to offer the situation I have found myself in regarding motorcycle use. I truly hope that anyone that reads this, that is so inclined, responds to anything I write. One of the things that interests me about blogging is that it is an open forum, almost a dialog, and the power is in the exchange.
As I said, I like my motorcycles. Some might say I have more that an idle appreciation, perhaps it is even unnatural. To me it is more than an object. I enjoy off-road motorcycling. I like being in the woods and on trails. I like being in nature and feeling like I am exploring sites and scenery that you have to work a little harder to find. Because of this, the motorcycle becomes more than just a prop. It is like a camper’s boots, a necessary part of the journey.
I take pride I my motorcycle. I keep it running as best I can. I clean the carbs, change tires and have taught myself basic engine repair so when I am on it in the wilderness, I can usually fix it if something were to happen. In other words, I have spent a fair amount of time with this special beast.
Two and a half years ago, my twin sons were born. This was an incredible event in my life, needless to say, but I really didn’t know how to balance it. I tried to maintain my riding, but found that leaving my family at six in the morning and not returning until seven at night on a Saturday was not going to work. My wife didn’t complain, (that much), but I always felt a sense of loss or missing in the morning as I was leaving. It did not feel right. Eventually I all but cut out the riding. I just felt that the price was too great. I didn’t want to be away on weekends, and I just felt it all slipping. I have since replaced riding with white water kayaking. This I can do in a much shorter amount of time, as I do not have to drive as far and the outings are much shorter.
I have spoken to friends about this and they have faced similar dilemmas. Day before my sons were born I was standing at the top of a trail head trying to find a decent line, and contemplating whether I should try it. My riding partner looked at me and said, “twins dude, that is no joke.” He led me around the trail on a much safer fire road Another friend said he was going to wait and see if his son had an interest in riding in a few years. If he did, then they could make it a family activity and go away on weekends.