The Fire-Brand of Truth

Looking in that Mirror Hurts

This message is not a sob-story. It is a call to True Manhood to all jerks and fools such as myself in America today. So trick every jerk and fool you know into reading this piece at least one time. I'm not here striving for pity. I'm striving for accountability.

I've something on my heart that's bothered me for some time now. If you're looking for anything funny here, you'll need to go elsewhere.

This message isn't just for her and my own children. It's for guys like me everywhere, who just aren't down to my point, yet. I'm hoping to reach you before you foul up not only your own lives, but also the lives of your innocent children.

When you screw up with a job you get a new one. If you wreck a vehicle and live you can eventually buy a new one. Even when you lose a 'Great Love' there are too many other fish in the sea to even count. But when you fail as a Dad; you fail for generations.

She tried, that ex-wife of mine. She really, truly tried. She tolerated, sometimes even to the point of enabling (It's still all my fault though). She questioned gently. She tried to get friends to intervene. She eventually stood her ground with a fierceness that would've made any mother-bear raise an eyebrow.

But through it all, I remained a pushy, verbally abusive jerk. It hit me like a ton of bricks just recently and now I understand so much more. Accepting the truth of it all has brought me such a freedom.

Please don't see this as some cheap apology or a request for pardon. I'm looking into this 'reality' thing and am just hoping to try and reach other men like me too.

I'm just not a 'familial' guy I suppose. Maybe I'm just anti-societal. But, whatever the reason/cause/excuse I come up with, it all boils down to the fact that they, as anyone would, deserve better. Even if it were 'society's fault', I'm still solely responsible for all of my own actions and inactions, including the accidents.