A Good Day to Dad

By Adam Bunker
For The Sheridan Press

 

Introductions are hard, right? Surely, you know the drill. State your name for the record. Swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and...wait, no. Sorry, wrong kind of introduction. I got mixed up there.

What I meant was the kind of introduction you run into when meeting a large group of people. There's your name, maybe where you work, and then some fun fact about yourself. And as both an introvert and someone who overthinks things, that's where I always run into a problem.

How do you pick a good fact about yourself? What if someone picks your fun fact first? Then you scramble, mix up your words, and end up being the guy who “likes meeting new colors.”

So why am I rambling on about introductions in a parenting column? That’s a fantastic question that I didn’t just plant in your head. I hope this column turns into a beautiful dysfunctional relationship between us, and any good dysfunctional relationship begins with an introduction.

Cue scene. 

It was 6 p.m. on a Tuesday. I came straight from work to slump down in a room full of other parents, wondering how I got roped into a PTO meeting. Then I saw “introductions” on the agenda and started to panic. What if the ice breaker meant sharing your name and the birthday of your kid?

I scanned the room again.

One look told me those people definitely knew their kid’s birthday. Braggarts. I figured I could always make one up. They wouldn’t know the difference, and if I ever had to commit it’s not like my kid would object to a second birthday.

The gauntlet began at the front of the room. “Hi, I’m so-and-so and I have a fifth-grader.“ Oh, well that format seemed easy enough.

I muddled over what to say. First impressions are important, after all. I was fairly confident of my own name, so that was good. Then my old friend “Overthinking” showed up. DID I have a second grader? Can anyone “have” a kid, or do we just occupy the same living space for a while? 

(Side note: I asked my wife to proof this column and she very strongly assures me that someone can indeed "have" a kid.)

I decided to be honest. "Hi, I’m Adam and there’s a small child who lives in my house. I think she’s in second grade."

And so began a long tradition of introductions.

In the several years since that meeting, I’ve shared many new titles. Hi, I’m Adam Bunker and I’m an assistant chauffeur, junior financial adviser, primary training officer, marginal safety supervisor, co-chief legal counsel, senior proof reader and director of questionable ideas. I fill these positions for both a junior high student and a toddler.

More than anything, I’d describe myself as an under qualified dad. What I lack in qualifications, I try to make up for through hindsight and (sometimes inappropriate) humor. But like many of you, I’m just here trying to do my best. Some days I succeed, many days I don’t, but every day is a good day to dad.

 

About Adam Bunker
Adam is a dad living in Sheridan, Wyoming. He writes "A Good Day to Dad" bimonthly for The Sheridan Press, exclusively featured here on My Bighorns. 

 

About The Sheridan Press
The Sheridan Press has served Sheridan County, Wyoming, since 1887. The award-winning independent newspaper offers print and online news delivery platforms to the thriving community, which boasts a college; a lively arts, culture, and music scene; a bustling downtown; and many other amenities, including unlimited outdoor recreational opportunities. To subscribe to The Sheridan Press, click here.