Dead beat dads

There are a lot of dead beat dads in the world and as I look towards my first Fathers Day I don’t understand them. I don’t see how you could look into the face of a child and not want to do anything you can to protect and help them. I cannot fathom knowing you helped create a life and not wanting to be a part of it. I will never understand what motivates someone to hurt another person, let alone a child. Yet all of these things happen and all too often.

Not too long ago I read an article on ESPN about Karl Malone. If you don’t know Karl Malone was a basketball player for the Utah Jazz. I always didn’t like him when he played. First off, I am a Rockets fan, and they often went up against each other in the playoffs growing up. Second off he always came off as a jerk when I’d see him. I never knew how much of a jerk until I read the article about Karl Malone’s shameful secret. It was surprising to hear that not only does he have a son that he has never met, but the son isn’t the only child he’s ignored. He ignored a daughter until she became a basketball player, and now he ignores a son who is playing football. I suppose if the son becomes famous or gets some press that is bad for Malone then maybe he’ll try to change that.

My father didn’t always do the best job of being a dad. I didn’t see him super often as I grew up, but he was around. As I got older I saw him a lot more, and I cherish those memories. I lost him a few years ago to COPD, essentially emphysema from smoking. I miss him often, but this last four months has been harder. I wish he could have met Levi. He would be so glad to meet him and see him. Feeling that loss and also the love I have for Levi makes the behavior of some people that much harder to fathom.

I suppose I would have to just attribute it to the same thing I attribute so many things in this world today. Some people are just idiots. Its not that they are ignorant and don’t know what they are doing. They know, they are either too stupid or too rude to care. If you have a child, cherish them. If your father is still around thank him. If he’s around and he’s from the Karl Malone school of parenting then confront him and try to get him to be a dad. Maybe that will be all it takes to make them be a real man and a real dad.

After all, someone who acts like Malone does isn’t a man or a father. As the article says, they’re a random sperm donor and not worth much more. A dad who is involved and cares for their child, one who is a good husband a helps whenever he can with whatever he can is a real man, and that’s what I want to be.