The Joys of Fatherhood

I never wanted to be a Father. My wife knew this before we ever got married. I guess she new it would just take time, so ten years later, my daughter was born. Coincidentally enough, almost two years after that, another daughter was born. Turns out, kids are pretty cool, if they are your own kids. I still don't particularly care for other people's kids, but I do love my girls.

That not to say that Fatherhood doesn't have it's downside. Last night for example, my youngest, at just one month old, decided she wanted to cry until about 1 AM this morning before she settled down to sleep. My wife takes care of the youngest at night, so theoretically, I can sleep before I have to go to work in the morning. However, last night, I was unable to sleep through the crying. So when she finally drops off, I'm thinking "sweet, I can still squeeze in five hours of sleep before I have to get up!" Twenty minutes later, enter daughter number one, who is about twenty-two months old, and apparently had some sort of nightmare. After several tries, I finally get her settled back in to sleep, and stumble off to bed myself, noticing that the evil alarm clock puts the time at almost 3 AM. Wonderful, three whole hours of sleep if I collapse on the spot.

So, I get up at around six, stumble through the shower/shave/pull on the uniform routine, and head into the kitchen for some coffee. My wife has already gotten the oldest up and dressed for daycare so that I can drop her off on my way to work. As I exit the bedroom, my daughter catches sight of me. Her face lights up, he hands go into the air, and she says "YAY! DaDa!!"

Two words, and all the headaches from last night evaporate like fog on a spring morning. Funny how something I never wanted can become such a vital part of my life, and bring such happiness as to almost eradicate any bad memories.

Now, I just have to get the youngest to say "DaDa!", but I guess I've got a few months to work on that :)


Casey

Cogitation

Pronunciation: \ˌkä-jə-ˈtā-shən\

Function:

noun

Date:

13th century

1 a: the act of cogitating b: the capacity to think or reflect
2: a single thought


Cogitation.......the act of thinking. Something too few of us do these days. Though I will admit, it is often difficult to get some quality thinking done when there is so much going on to provide distractions. From television, to the internet, to a good book, or just quality time with friends and family, all distractions from thinking. Even when you can squeeze in some time for thinking, you end up thinking of things you should be doing, instead of actually just thinking.

I find that one of the best times for thinking, at least for me, is on a smoke break. I'm the only one in the family who smokes, so when I step outside, no one is inclined to join me. Even though it's only a few minutes, you'd be amazed at what can percolate through your head in so short a time. Bits of news clips, fragments of vaguely remembered conversations, a sentence from a book that suddenly takes on new meaning when considered in a different context, the list goes on.

Living in Carolina, I like to think my local influences also influence the manner of my thinking, hence the title of this blog. I don't know if I'll garner a following, or even a few readers, but I intend to share my thoughts on a variety of subjects, from guns, to religion, to politics, to the weather, whatever happens to cross my mind during a bout of cogitation.

Welcome, and enjoy!


Casey