There are times when you need to step up and be a man
And as that man you need to know when you need not step up
Millions of years of evolution has taught these skills
Like the other day
I went to pick up my son from school
When I arrived a noticed him surrounded by some older kids
They were pushing him around
And one of them emptied out his backpack
And then threw the pack over the fence
Then they grabbed my son and hoisted him up
And hung him from the fence by his underwear
After the group left on their motorbikes I got out of the car
Walked up to my son
‘Dad! Get me down’ he cried
I helped him
When he re-adjusted his pants
He looked at me
‘Why didn’t you help?’
He asked
‘I thought it was just a couple of your friends and you rough-housing around’
‘My friends don’t have mustaches and motorbikes Dad. I’m 11 years old’
He had a point but it’s at these times when I like to be silent and do very little
We got in the car
My son was crying quietly in the passenger’s seat
‘You could’ve helped me dad’ he said sniffling and wiping his tears
I turned on the radio and we listened to an advertisement about women’s hygiene products
As we drove I realized that this is what being a parent is about
Spending a little dad and son time
Just driving around and being together
And I knew that I had stepped up
Because if I hadn’t have been there
My son would still be hanging by his underwear on the fence
I started to laugh a bit
My son looked at me
‘Dad what’s funny about me being beaten up?’
I couldn’t tell him
I was imagining if we reversed the situation
And it was me being hung up on the fence
Only it would have been really weird
Because I was wearing my mothers underwear.
A habit I started after she passed away
We’ll talk about all this sometime in future
My son and I
But right now it’s best to just be quiet