One in a Million

Signs of a Super Dad: A super dad sweats with his kids not about them.


About 15 years ago, I did something amazing that with another million tries could never been done again. From 50 yards away, I launched a snowball into the window of a moving school bus. You know those bus windows aren’t more then 2 x 2 feet. I would equate this to throwing a baseball from center field and hitting the catcher in the face; most major league players can’t do that.

My best friend once threw a pair of swimming goggles across the entire length of a pool at the perfect angle to miss the diving board and hit my sister in the face. Again, something he could never do again with a million tries.

While on the golf course, I once witnessed a complete stranger chip a ball out of the woods that bounced off the tree in front of him, and then ricocheted off the tree behind him, only to bounce onto the green and into the hole.

We all have seen that guy during a NBA half time show sink a full court shot to win a million dollars.

All these examples have something in common; they are feats that happen by wishful accident. (Well, my best friend didn’t really mean to hit my sister in the face, I think.) We all see these types of things. Those goofy surprises that makes everyone in the room stand up and go “Ohhh!?” I really enjoy these wishful accidents. It’s just one of those cool things in life. They are pleasant insignificant accomplishments that you will remember for the rest of your life. I don’t remember my exact age when I threw that snow ball (I think 15, but it could have been 14) but I can picture the scene in my mind like it was yesterday.

These accidents are different then say Big Ben hitting Santonio in the back of the end zone to win the Super Bowl. They have practiced that throw maybe a thousand times. It is the woman I saw a couple of months ago toss volleyball over her head just to have it go into a basketball hoop, completely by mistake. Tossing a toy across the room to have to bounce twice on the computer desk and end up snuggly into a bin. These wishful accidents are like little life presents. When they happen we should really pause a moment and take it all in, you don’t know when you will get another.

I am going to deviate from the norm and end this blog with some random thoughts that wouldn’t fill up a whole blog posting, or it might but I don’t feel like making one:

I really need to go grocery shopping. I just fed my child a lunch of Triscuits, a hand full of grapes on their last days, and a very spotty banana. Of course he didn’t seem to mind, but I didn’t feel too super dad about it.

I have to remember to make reservations for Valentines Day. You know being a stay-at-home dad you really get the short end of the stick sometimes. Not only are you switching gender norms doing what old society has deemed “womanly work”, but you still keep all your “manly” duties. I.e. I have to make the reservations.

The end is in sight for our credit debt. The day we finally pay that off will be a great day. And on that note, there is a very good chance my family will be in our first house by this time next year.

I find my son being laugh out loud funny more and more. He just does some really goofy stuff. What’s even funnier is he is doing it to make us laugh. It also looks to me that my son may have some social anxiety issues when he gets older. This might just be my over active radar for psychological issues talking, cause he is really shy. He has a very hard time warming up to other kids his age. Hopefully he will grow out of it once his siblings get older. If not, no problems.

I have begun training for a ½ marathon, again. My buddy and I wanted to participate in one last year, but I got injured. I could run up to 8 miles, but the IT bands in my legs just started to hurt so bad I couldn’t run anymore. Hopefully with proper shoes and more stretching this year will be different.

I eat much, much too much sugar. I also need to stop making cookies. I eat the damn things in a day or two. There is a plate of no-bakes sitting on top of the microwave as a type this. They are beckoning me. Tempting me. I can feel their little eyes boring into the back of my skull. “Eat Me! Let me make sweet love to your tongue!” I would be a horrible crack addict.