One year ago today, Mic.com released the second episode of their series, Flip the Script. This episode focused on at home fathers. What made this so memorable for yours truly was that it was a profile of me and featured my daughter, Camilla. I remember telling my wife months before I was asked to participate that I wished I could have a film crew follow us for a day to document what I do and the type of child my daughter was becoming. So, when this opportunity came along, I jumped at it. It is so important to me to show how viable fathers are as at home parents, as well as articulate my experience. To come from where I came from to be the father I am today is an important story to share. I continue to hope that a father will listen to me discuss fatherhood and decide to become an at home parent or fight for substantive parental leave. That's my dream: positively influence future fathers. This Mic.com video is a truly amazing tool for my work. This might sound grim, but I want this to be played at my funeral, because it beautifully represents my life as a father.
Despite the general appreciation of this episode, some missed the point. They focused on the cute factor of my daughter, or failed to acknowledge the true subject, or missed that the tone was sarcastic. (Oh, and Ms. Plank did not actually destroy one of my daughter's stuffed animals.) Although I am the primary focus, this is really not about me. It's so much bigger than me. I'm just the tool used to prove a point. Fathers can and should step up as parents. This episode is for so many of my fellow dads out there who are doing what they should be doing as a father: impacting their children's lives for the better. So, this morning, when I viewed on Facebook that this video made its debut exactly one year ago, I smiled. Because I love everything about it and the entire Flip the Script project. I am honored that my family was a part of it. And I will forever be grateful.
And I'm not the greatest dad ever. Too hard to judge that!