Mom, put this column in front of Dad’s face, otherwise, we have no idea how many young dads (or fathers-to-be) may see this column.
We assume that guys glance at the newspaper’s front page, pounce on the Sports pages, then sit back and browse the comics until they nod off. We figure it’s sometimes up to the distaff side of the household to direct attention to our column, which is usually nestled in the Life section. We hope you will, because our primary target audience is the young dad or the young husband who is about to take on the role of a lifetime (and we mean Lifetime with a capital L).
Tom Tozer and Bill Black pose for a portrait Monday, March 28, 2016 at the Chattanooga Times Free Press.Young man, if you have already stumbled your way into that new world called fatherhood, then you have a taste of what’s it’s like to be responsible for another human being. You have no doubt already wondered, at times, if there is a way to renege. “Hey, I was just kidding can I turn back the clock?” If you’re about to become a father, you just think you know what you’re in for. If you truly knew, you’d unplug that clock.
There is no guidebook. You just sort of feel your way through, make the wisest decisions you can and hope and pray for the best. Oh, and very soon you wouldn’t trade the job for anything.
Dad, you are or soon will be, in charge of another human being. Perhaps in your 9-to-5 life you’re a vice president of sales, investment banker or accountant. Maybe you spend your working day putting out fires, literally or figuratively, or fighting bad guys. Whatever you do for a paycheck, it will never be more important than being a dad, raising your children and instilling the tools and values that will enable them to one day make their way through the jungle without you.