THERE HAVE BEEN numerous calls for men to step up and embrace their roles as fathers. While they are many of us who do, given our societal and philosophical indoctrinations, I suspect that unless there is a shift (paradigm or dimensional), that we are unlikely to see major transformations in the behavior of some men.
As one who supports the ideology that the role fathers play in the development of children is equally important to that of mothers, I cannot deny that sometimes it may appear that many of our men have not internalised how important our roles are. It is said that having children is a blessing as doing so exposes us to several learning curves and perspectives that should aid in helping us to be more responsible adults.
It is also interesting to note that not too long ago when I was bemoaning the responsibility and certainly the expense of being a “daddy”, that I was both humbled and taunted when my children so robustly purported that “we didn’t send and call you”. Just recently when I expressed frustration in being my daughter’s personal chauffeur, she responded by saying that the matter is fairly straightforward in that being a father carries certain responsibilities and expectations, full stop.
Reminders
These simple, yet powerful reminders of my role as a father often cause me to wonder about who should have taken responsibility for that which belongs to me. I speak certainly about my organic compounds that aid in the building of a life. Should I leave the responsibility to the woman or should I blame her for getting pregnant, even though I was a willing participant during our sexual escapades?
Gentlemen, the fact remains that our children are indeed innocent; they are not responsible for their entry into this world and therefore should not be made to suffer because of our lack of responsibility.
As men therefore, let us think hard about taking responsibility for our organics, for unless we were drugged or coerced, whether intentional or by “accident”, without our organics, without our building blocks (natural or re-engineered), a child could not have been conceived.
It is therefore incumbent on all of us to take responsibility for that which is ours and to teach other men about the awesome responsibility that comes when we take part in bringing a child into this world.
– SEAN ST CLAIR FIELDS