"Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God."
-Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. - Cat's Cradle
Everyone has a father of some sort. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. most certainly did, his name reminded him of that on a daily basis. I most certainly do as well, and am reminded of that on a daily basis if not by my namesake, but by the institution of my upbringing. I find myself average, at best, at almost everything I do. Every accomplishment I have ever had, currently have or will one day have I earned, am earning and will earn with effort and hard work. My moderate skills in life are not the fault of parenting, but the resiliency and work ethic that has made it possible for me to achieve success, in any capacity, is a direct result of my father's guidance.
I am now a father of two amazing children. They can be a great source of frustration at times, but I now see how they are merely returning the favor to me that I once afforded my parents. I was merely an average pain in the ass, but I worked exceptionally hard at it. My kids are paying the favor forward.
My hope is that I can instill strength in my children as my father did me. If I have anything to do with it (and I should since I am their father), they will not fail for lack of effort. I have lofty expectations of myself, of most of the people around me, of humanity as a whole, but especially of my children. They likely consider it a thorn now, but one day my hope is that they appreciate this guidance that they are receiving, just as I received once upon a time from my father.
I believe Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.'s quote from the book "Cat's Cradle" is a statement regarding a philosophy in life. The spontaneous diversions can be fruitful, they take you out of your comfort zone and thrust you into a world of unknown adventure. Blazing a new trail, you may find yourself in peculiar predicaments that challenge your equilibrium, but the experiences will no doubt make you a better person. The unexpected can be rewarding, in other words.
When I uprooted the wife and kids to move far from home it was the most difficult decision I've ever had to make. The comfort of familiarity and the safety net of friends and family was challenging to walk away from and still is to a great extent. I wish that it was possible to visit my dad today and wish him a happy Father's Day in person, but a card with well wishes and a phone call will have to do.
If it is any consolation, the approach that I have had on this journey far from home, the sense of adventure, experiencing challenges head on and making oranges out of clocks, etc...comes from my upbringing. I embrace the Royal Jazz Hands because of my dad and the attributes that he has instilled in me.
Thank you, Dad.
Today's Jazz Hands go out to all of the fathers out there. Building foundations is a hard job...you've earned this day...embrace it!
Day one-hundred and sixty-seven complete.
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