I’m a new father. My daughter turns 2 at the end of July. It amazes me how fast time goes. My phone is fancy enough that it will create a collage of pictures and ask me “do you remember this day?” It’ll compile similar photos and quotes together with a caption along the lines of “outdoor adventures” or whatever else is sure to draw me in. I have to say, I like the features of the phone and sometimes I don’t remember the day or taking the photo.
Other times, the memory is clear and will get my brain churning to the before and after events of that photo. It’ll also lead to a great talking point with my family, or remind me to reach out to a friend who I was with during that time. It’s basically my generation’s photo album: a compilation of memories that elicit the sights and sounds of the past.
Seeing these photos and videos pop up on my phone makes me reflect on the journey I’ve been on. It makes me reflect and think about the life that was and the life I have now. The timestamped dates and pinpointed locations on the photos give me a clear reminder of when and where I was as I snapped those photos. Some photos I’ve kept in the camera roll for 10 or more years, other photos happening just yesterday or the day before. Each with a level of happiness and appreciation from the time. There clearly had to have been a reason I felt like the photo needed to be taken.
Even those photos of some random arrangement of letters and numbers for a code or a stall number in the parking garage so I wouldn’t get lost after a trip shopping. Although, that example probably has more to do with my wife than my own shopping adventures. Other photos are those milestones we will always remember but may not quite recall the details. Holidays with family, vacations around the world, a collage of our hobbies, or additions to the family. It’s those last two areas that inspire me to think about how thankful I am to be at this stage in my life.
Adulthood
Something about life before kids and life after kids is a pivotal point. The stage of “adulthood” that has a clear separation between life that was and now life that is. Those late nights I could go out and do whatever I wanted are no longer. There is now a little human who depends on me and my ability to have some foothold on my life. To use a baseball analogy, I wouldn’t say I need to be hitting home runs in all areas of life as a dad, although I’d certainly take them as they come, but there’s nothing wrong with taking the day-to-day with solid doubles to right center field.
I might even strike out a time or two, or if I’m having a particularly hard time navigating whatever the challenge of the moment is ground into a few double plays. The goal I think as a parent is to limit those outcomes as much as possible. To be a constant source of support, happiness, and guidance for your kid as best as you know how. It’s cliche to say, but my wife and I didn’t get an instruction manual when we left the hospital with our child.
It’s my hope that I can inspire my daughter to enjoy many of the same hobbies I have while also encouraging her to find her own. I’m into fishing, sports, and good TV shows. She might enjoy music, writing, or computers. Whatever the case may be, there are areas in our lives that will overlap and find common interests. I surely hope that enjoying the outdoors, and fishing specifically, are among the shared hobbies.
The patience and independence we learn with fishing is invaluable. Soft skills such as being able to hold a conversation during down time or to celebrate someone else’s success are also an important area we learn as fishermen. I hope to share the many hours on the road traveling to different bodies of water with her as I did with my dad. I know my growth as a man is in large part to his teachings when I was younger. I am also excited to see how he can impart his wisdom to her and influence her in a positive way. That kind of generational guidance goes far beyond fishing. Tying a knot, being able to read the water. Those are great, but the time spent together, and memories built are what is truly important. The three of us out on the water fishing? That sounds like a memory with lots of photos.