Father, stamp collector, wax John Tyler heist-planner, aspiring long-distance pool noodle sailor, blogger
In our fast-paced modern society, we get busier and busier every day. Our multitude of obligations can be overwhelming, but with the right attitude, all of them can be fulfilled. And I should know, because every day I juggle being a single dad, working full-time as an attorney, collecting rare stamps, trying to steal the animatronic John Tyler from Disney World’s Hall of Presidents, and attempting to cross the Atlantic on a pool noodle.
It sounds hectic—maybe even unmanageable—but it keeps things fun! How packed are my days? Let me tell you:
It’s not even 9:00 p.m., and I’ve already helped the girls with their homework, spent an hour on the phone with an old man who claims he has a first-edition gold-embossed 1969 Elvis Presley stamp (he doesn’t), pored over the Hall of Presidents’ building blueprints, and submerged myself in a homemade tank that replicates the conditions of the mid-Atlantic for an hour. Then I get a text from my boss saying he needs work done on the Palmer file.
Sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day!
It sounds hectic—maybe even unmanageable—but it keeps things fun!
As a working single dad/stamp collector/wax John Tyler heist-planner/aspiring long-distance pool noodle sailor, I have to wear a lot of different hats. The key is not short-changing any one thing for the sake of the others, so I’m constantly thinking about what I have to do:
If I use a super long pool noodle, will my trip be counted by the Guinness Book Of World Records? Did I remember to notate the deposition for tomorrow? Could I wear a suit and pretend to be an animatronic Gerald Ford so I can be in the Hall of Presidents after hours? Is this stamp depicting the assassination of MLK a forgery? Is Jenny getting bullied at school?
On top of everything else, I’m also somewhat of a ping-pong hound, and I often spend up to 30 hours a week on my hobby.
What I’ve learned is to answer these questions one at a time, so they won’t overwhelm me. All these responsibilities are equally important, and I’ll get to all of them, because I prioritize all of them. Compromises are okay too; yes, I’d like to move the family to Orlando so I can be closer to the Hall of Presidents, but I have to think about my two daughters and their schooling.
Life can get so hectic. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it’s okay to push my in-depth research into the security personnel manning the Magic Kingdom attraction Hall of Presidents until tomorrow. Will I lose my cool at the last minute and accidentally steal Rutherford B. Hayes instead? That’s a question for another day.
So to my fellow single dads, I say: You can have it all! It may seem like a lot, but it’s my crazy life, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
