Restored faith in MANkind!

Monday, January 7th, 2008
Today I ran some errands and shopped around for a gym. No, this is not a part of a New year's resolution, I don't do resolutions. I started this process a few months ago, but didn't want to sign the dotted line yet since I was gonna be out of town so much. I do not enjoy this shopping around process, because I always hate dealing with sales people. I can't stand the way they talk to you like you are a complete idiot as if you can't see right through the smoke their trying to blow up your rear. Anyway, I won't go into the whole story of this one place I went, cause it would take too long, but their sales guy ticked me off. So, I ended up going with 24 Hour Fitness cause I got a really good deal, and I've used them before and liked it, and 2 months ago I used a free 2 week pass at this location and got to check it out, and because they don't make you sign a contract (they're month to month). This one place wanted me to sign a 3 year contract. I laughed at them and went on my way.

So, I was in one of my favorite areas in town today. It's a lovely little place where one can see Pottery Barn and Barnes and Noble (my 2 favorite "Barns") within one swift glance. I got hungry, so I stepped inside the mall for some food court Chinese and that's when I saw it! I sat down at my table, and I looked over at the table in front of me, and I saw before me something that my eyes could hardly believe. I thought, "This can not be! This does not exist!" I rubbed my eyes in disbelief, but it was still there! Sitting before me was a man eating dinner in the mall food court with his five children! And he was completely calm and collected. There was no sweat. There was no panic. There was no look of desperation. He was perfectly fine. The kids were all moving about, saying "daddy this" and "daddy that", and one threw a noodle at another one, and one was playing in a potted plant, and one was wearing no shoes, and still, he remained calm. And when they were done they picked up their noodle off the floor, they all picked up their trash and threw it away, and as they walked away, one of the children even turned around and pushed in all of their chairs. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. As they disappeared into the distance, I thought of all the times that I have been with women who after an hour or two of being away, have had to rush home because their husbands were alone with their one child. Now, I realise that I have no children, and that I may be missing something here, and that if one is nursing, that's a whole other story. But I gotta tell ya, the thought of this becoming my own fate, I admit, has often worried me.

So, I just couldn't help thinking to myself....

"Thank you Mr. John Doe Father, for proving that a man is capable of watching his own children. Thank you, ever so much! For you have restored my faith in MANkind!"

This evening I told B about what I saw. This is a topic that we have discusses several times, and each time he swears that he can't understand why a guy cannot be expected to take care of his own children. And if we ever have children, I assure you, these are words I shall not forget.




.......Oh, yeah, you know I wasn't missin' this photo op.

Four girls and one boy (he's the one playing with the tree)!