LET'S
BE TRANSPARENT.
The Father's
Day project you hopefully will take the time to read and
enjoy
was partly conceived for selfish reasons. The six men highlighted are
my friends. In fact, we've known each other for 18 years plus. We've
been to each others weddings, either as men of honor, the best man or
guests. But in the midst of it all, the question arose: How well do
we know each other?
DuJuan
Johnson, my college roommate freshman year and very first friend at
Cal State Fullerton, came to me with an idea. He knew that our
stories were universal and he wanted to make sure they were told. If
we didn't do it for ourselves, who would? He was right and I was
onboard to help create it. He took the pictures and designed the
website. I wrote the profiles.
As
this project progressed we understood it's mission was simple. We
wanted to celebrate each others' successes and recognize the hard
work we've put in over the years to become loving husbands and
fathers. This project is also an opportunity for us to continue to
build a bond with one another as friends and brothers. As the demands
of life pull us in different directions, it's important that we find
the time as men to commiserate, to conference, to share best
practices and philosophies. If a little sports talk breaks out so be
it.
It's clear that our backgrounds paint a picture of who we are and help us connect in ways we didn't think to before. Personally, writing the features for each of my friends was a daunting task. I knew their story was important and people could relate to them but I was afraid to not represent them well. I feel more connected to them knowing a little bit more about their past and the events that shaped them as men.
With
that reflection, I hope other fathers and men could connect and be
inspired in some way.
Click here to check it out. IMAGE FATHERS- 2015
