Man Up

Lately I've been noticing a trend in guys. A very bad trend I must say. Simply put, there are things that many men my age and older cant do. No I'm not talking about things like extracting an infected tooth or performing open heart surgery. But I'm talking about the simple things. Like how to change your tires, check your oil, tie a tie, etc. I guess the most obvious reason would be that there's a shortage of fathers in the home. But I'll try to dig a little deeper. Because in this day and age, there isn't one single piece of information that cant be found if you want to find it. The almighty Google has you covered. So I think it's just laziness. Which is probably one of the most, if not the most, unattractive qualities a man can have. Maybe having a third arm is a rough one to overcome as well.

But all joking aside, I was fortunate enough to have a great dad. One that taught me a lot of things growing up. So I decided that I'm going to do the same thing with my son. Because I want to make sure that he's well equipped to function is this world when he gets older.

So with Fathers Day right around the corner, I thought that it would be fitting to put a challenge out there to all the dads who have sons to "man up". Teach your boys how to be men. Also, teach them some of the little things. Teach them about your interests. Help them become cultured. Help them understand that there is a huge world of opportunities out there. Let them know you believe in them. Give them confidence. It will make you proud when they're grown.

And for the guys who don't have sons yet, theres a great book out there that gives a lot of tips. "Rules for My Unborn Son" Some of the tips are of the tongue in cheek nature. And then there are others that are truly valuable. The book may look thick but I finished it in under an hour. For dads and dads to be, I think you should go find it at your local library and give it a look. Honestly, I think it's well worth it to purchase it just so you can have it for reference.

At any rate, I decided to document me teaching my 5 year old son Isaiah a few of the many things my dad taught me.

1. How to play Chess

Chess is known as the thinking mans game. It teaches you how to be patient, predictive, influential, and aggressive. My dad taught me when I was in 5th grade and I proceeded to take the class by storm while everyone else was still stuck on checkers.

On Me: Dress Shirt~H&M, Chinos~JCrew, Loafers~Bass, Watch~Tommy Hilfiger
On Son:Oxford Button Down Shirt~The Childrens Place, Chinos~The Children's Place, Loafers~The Children's Place

2. How to drive.

I think I was about 4 or 5. My dad had a navy blue '73 Chevy Monte Carlo. It was as clean as sugar. He took great care of it. I've been told about stories of him driving so slow down dirt roads that babies could crawl faster than he moved. And to top it off, once he got to the end of the dirt road he would pull over and apply another coat of Armour All to the tires. That's precious. My point is, he thought of me so much that he allowed me to sit in his lap one day at such a young age attempt to steer. Needless to say, I failed. We were in a ditch quicker than Maurice Clarett's NFL career. Actually my son did a lot better than I did.

Easter of 1987. My dad and his '73 Monte Carlo

Me and my older brother. I'm the short one. I just turned a year old.

On Me:Polo Shirt~Hollister, Madras Shorts~Polo Ralph Lauren, Watch~Timex
On Son: Polo Shirt~Polo Ralph Lauren, Madras Shorts~Polo Ralph Lauren

3. Tying a Tie.

This is a big one. I'm not really sure what the big deal is. There are over a million you tube videos on how to do this. However, like I previously said before...laziness. Anyway, no super cool story about this one. I got my first real tie for Christmas around the age of 10 and that's when he taught me. If I remember correctly, I think I caught on pretty fast. Who would have thought I'd end up being into fashion.

On Me:Oxford Button Down Shirt~Polo Ralph Lauren, Tie~Gap(thrifted), Jeans~Lands End Canvas, Watch~Timex
On Son:Oxford Buton Down Shirt, Chaps, Tie~JCrew, Jeans~Gap

4. Favorite Food.

I was really excited to teach my son this one simply because I remember when my dad first introduced one of his to me. This may surprise you but no, it wasn't cheesecake. My dad taught me about honey buns. I don't  really remember the origin but it was just one of those things where I was just doing everything I saw my dad do. He was notorious for keeping a little cupboard of snacks right beside the recliner. It was always well stocked. Honey buns a plenty. And then one day i saw him put cheese on it. It blew my mind. But like I said before, I just wanted to do what he did. I tried it, I loved it. It was my favorite treat for years. Until of course I discovered cheesecake. But an icy white honey bun with good ole American cheddar still holds a place close to my heart. I was really undecided on which one to use for this post. But lets be serious. You already know what time it is...

On Me: Bengal Striped Button Down Shirt~Polo Ralph Lauren, Chino Shorts(cutoff)~Polo Ralph Lauren, Boat Shoes~Sperry Top-Sider, Watch~Timex
On Son: Bengal Striped Button Down Shirt~Polo Ralph Lauren, Chino Shorts(cutoff)~Gap, Boat Shoes~Sperry Top-Sider