Cleaning Up for Spring

I have been spending time off and on over the past few days cleaning out my digital cobwebs.  For me, a large part of that has been sifting all of the GooGle Reader items I've shared, saving shortcuts when appropriate (I do have one or two useful ideas in there with all the lolcats).
One that I had completely forgotten about was an item published originally by the Washington Post, about President Obama's wish to have the White House visitors' log made public online.

And hallelujah, the list is still being updated!  Good WH Staff!  Thanks Mr. President!  Such a really simple and gracious thing to do.  Pity it took so long - no other POTUS thought it important, I guess - but thanks for getting it done.  And also for making sure it wasn't a four week dog and pony show.

My wife and I took our girls for a flying circus tour of DC last Summer.  I'm in school so we don't have a lot of money but I really wanted them to see Washington around the age I did.  We came in on a Thursday night train from Boston; stayed at Phoenix Park Friday, and went home Saturday night.  Not for everyone - wife and girl #1 won't do it again - but the younger one!  She'll go for it, just to get back to the Air and Space museum again.

Responsibility isn't about enjoying it, it's about doing it.

A Buzzer I've been following for a while came in this morning with a question/problem.

So, any how I have a son who has been living with his mother in Kansas for the last few years. He's been fucking up big time. He's 14. He's got caught stealing from Wal-Mart. He's apparently been stealing everything that's not nailed down for quite some time and no one cared, enough to notice or do anything about it. He's also been smoking weed and getting into other forms of mischief. Long story short it's looking more and more like he may end up moving to California with my wife and I. Honestly I'm less then excited. Life is full of changes but honestly I was and am quite happy with having my child rearing years behind me. Don't get me wrong I love the boy and want him to have every opportunity, I also have no doubt that my guidance and discipline, and just caring enough to be aware of where he is and what he's doing , will more then likely change things for the better.

It reminded me of my own childhood, which had moments not so different from what he described.  My dad died when I was like eleven and I didn't appreciate what a huge hole that left until I was a lot older.  At the time, my mom re-married and I wasn't beaten or picked on.  People made sure I had clothes, made sure I had food, made sure there was a present or three at holidays and birthdays.  Material things weren't lacking.

But I did lack for things.  I missed seeing the man get up and go to work every day.  I missed seeing the man get cleaned up and dressed every day.  I missed seeing the man treating others with respect, no matter what.  I missed seeing the man take care of shit that really needed to be taken care of even when it wasn't his shit.

I missed seeing him express love.  I missed him experience anger, and how to express it properly.  I missed seeing him experience sorrow, or fear.  And because I missed seeing him go through those things, I had to learn how to deal with them through trial and error.  Or, more to the truth, through not dealing with them.

And I nearly missed the most important fact which is that I need to be present for my children, so they can witness me and learn from me.  Today, when 'learning moments', ones where I have to be 'that guy who does the right thing' come up, they're not always pleasant.  Usually, expensive.  Always, dramatic.  So far no one's been injured, suspended, arrested, or un-licensed to drive yet.

Important people are watching.  So I don't want to miss any of those times.

Because I am The Man.  And it's what I can do.  Shivers.