Tonight is a big night for The Friendly Greek. My other half will attend his last Father Daughter Winter Ball at my daughter’s high school. These evenings usually start like this:
A few hours later, this opera-jazz-rap-loving dude will be doing his best disco on the dance floor. Jackets come off in these occasions, I’m told. There are a few moms in attendance, extraordinarily capable souls who help put this annual event together. I’m not one of them. This is his thing, his space, their time to share and shine. Shutterbug mania would take over from this Mom who-thinks-she-knows-better-but often-does-not would likely do a tut-tut too many. Instead, I’ll wait up for the post-mortem which usually goes something like this:
Dad was the last one on the dance floor.
Once upon a time, I too attended such a shindig with my pops.
Our big moment came with a tap on the shoulder. Yes, you made the finals…in the waltz. Dad, this gentle giant, father of five, four of them daughters, knew how to spin this middle child around the school assembly hall. We didn’t fare as well with the rock’n roll. So what? I didn’t need my dad to be groovy, just present. That awareness was somewhere in the forest of my adolescent brain. There were other lessons failing to make light, but you’re 17, you’ve got time to learn them.
Fathers in 2016 are as present as ever in the life of their children.
“We are on the cusp of a transformative shift in terms of how meaningful, desirable and interesting work happens and with that, a new set of choices in terms of family and care will become possible. For instance, there are estimates that in just four to five years almost 40 per cent of the American work force will be freelance, contract or consultants – completely shifting the traditional career model. For knowledge workers, it means the ability to build project-based careers that allow for an unprecedented level of control in terms of how and when work happens – making it easier to have both an engaged family life and fulfilling career.The changing life choices of these influential and powerful men will create the cultural shift we’ve been waiting for as they establish a new template for what ‘successful’ work looks like and really push organizations to embrace more flexible and impactful ways of structuring result-driven work.”
-Michael Carter, CEO Kahuso Inc.
What does it take to be a good father? Be a good man, to start. There’s a loaded one for the shifting terrain of gender neutrality. I’m just trying to stay afloat. Some things are still dim to this wanderer. Is it a cop-out entirely to settle all of this on a dance floor somewhere? Those strappy heels worn with my Dad are gone, but I’ve still got a red dress kicking around. Clearly, the guy in the tux, a good father, no- a great father, may have to retire the Daddy tux for a spell, but he knows this dance partner is always raring to go.
Maybe they will up the ante and offer roller skates tonight instead. Let’s see then who clears the dance floor.
One more, just for the dads who think they’re hipsters. Oh no, they’re not.
Are there still dance floors for middle aged disco queens? READERS, THAT IS YOUR QUESTION OF THE WEEK. I need to know!
Happy Friday. Yes, I know I promised you a recipe for those Nutella squares posted yesterday. Sign up for my subscriber buzz sheet (upper right corner) and you’ll be whipping up a batch in no time.
Weekend reading:
Did you marry the wrong person? From The Book of Life.
Are all bodies really great, no matter how big? From The Walrus.
Adele says motherhood, not singing, gave her purpose. Read on in Vogue.
Where I need help. Serious help. Maybe my book club won’t mind if I pick this one for our next book.
4 Comments
The Father Daughter banquet was always a special night to enjoy with your Dad. For many, the evening provided many good times and fond memories, especially for those whose father’s have since passed.
For me, the memories extend to all the preparation, the dress, the ballroom dancing steps being perfected (in my mind) around the dining room table before the big night. My father was a fabulous ballroom dancer, and gym class dance lessons just didn’t cut it.
It is so seldom for a dad and a teenage daughter to get one dedicated evening together without distractions. Making the evening even more memorable is the opportunity for a black tie dinner with your Dad. I cannot imagine anyone commenting negatively on such a fabulous night, except those who have never had the opportunity..
Wow. The dining room as practice space. Very cool.
Anne, my Dad & I were the reigning Twist champs in the 80’s, he even tried (unsuccessfully) to get Miss Dennys on the dance floor. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Twist champs! Now that is something to be proud of!