Dad’s House

Dating & Parenting by a Single Dad

Confessions of a Serial Online Dater, part 1 (Craigslist coffee date gone bad)

GreeceWhen CityGirl answered my craigslist ad, I should have known by the way she replied that we’d already met. My post said I was looking for an attractive, educated woman to meet for cocktails in Palo Alto. In her email reply she said she lived in San Francisco but frequently consulted on the peninsula, and she’d love to meet a handsome, athletic, educated, successful man that evening. (Cue the heart palpitations; what professional guy wouldn’t want to be described like that?) But, her email continued, why stop at drinks when dinner in a nice restaurant would be oodles more fun? She was a self-proclaimed foodie, and she knew of a cute little Japanese spot that had just opened in Menlo Park.

The summer before, I’d met a woman online through match.com who lived in the City and consulted on the peninsula. We met in person at University Café, a Palo Alto coffee house, presumably for cappuccino.

“Are you hungry?” she asked on that summer day.
No, not really, it was only 11:30, and I usually ate after a midday bike ride. I shrugged politely. “Are you?” I asked.
“I’m famished!” she said. “I was in a client meeting all morning. Mind if we grab a bite?”

Now, from my neck of the woods, a bite is just that – a small little something to tie you over. And I can always find room for a raspberry-apricot scone or a poppy-seed bagel. “Sure,” I said. I turned to the café, a spacious place with seating that spilled onto the sidewalk. It was a beautiful day, and a nearby table for two seemed ready-made for our date.

“Oh, not here,” she said. “The food’s terrible.”
I’d eaten here before, it wasn’t so bad. And this was about two strangers chatting and getting to know each other. Conversation would be first and foremost on the menu.

But she hooked her arm around mine and started us strolling down the street.
“I know this cute little Greek place nearby,” she said. “It’s got big shudder windows that I’m sure they’ve thrown open today. You’ll love it.”

The only Greek place I knew in Palo Alto was Evvia, a sister restaurant to San Francisco’s elegant Kokkari. Both were admired for their gourmet cuisine. A bit much for a coffee date, but I have to admit, strolling arm-in-arm in downtown Palo Alto with a beautiful woman on a bright summer day felt good. I could get used to this.

Lulled by the siren song, I followed her in.

We sat and the waiter came with a pitcher of tap water. She waved it off and asked for a bottle of sparkling. Then she proceeded to order soup, salad, an appetizer, and main course. A perfect little feast for two to share.
“And what are you having?” she asked me.

So much for sharing. I ordered a roasted lamb sandwich.
“You’re only having one course?” she asked.

The pretense was getting old, fast. We chatted over lunch, and it became clear that she was only interested in the food, and not in me. Plus, she didn’t visit the peninsula all that regularly; she usually stayed put in San Francisco. Long distance dating for a single dad like me.

When the bill came (after dessert and Greek coffee, of course), she didn’t flinch. She waited for me to pick it up. Now, if this had truly been a coffee date, I would have gladly paid for her grande-triple-mocha-caramel-skim-milk-latte-no-whip. And if we were boyfriend/girlfriend, I’d pick up the tab as well. But she’d turned our getting-to-know-you date into her personal banquet. No way I was paying.

“Did you need help with that?” she finally asked.
“Yes,” I said.
She was taken aback, but tossed a credit card onto the table. I have to admit, it felt weird. I was raised to never let a date pay. At least I split the bill equally; she’d ordered 80% of the food.

Now nine months later, it’s spring and I’m experiencing déjà vu all over again. CityGirl has got to be the same woman. The dating pool really is rather small. I emailed her: I think we’ve met. Lunch at Evvia last summer?

She sent back a pic. It was definitely her. She wrote: Oh, maybe! You sound familiar. I do so many lunches, I can’t be sure. At any rate, if we did meet, it’s been a long time. I’m sure we have a lot of catching up to do!

Catching up? Was she high?

I wrote back: on the other hand, the fact we never pursued a second date means maybe we didn’t hit it off too well in the first. As tempting as Japanese sounds, I’ll pass.

I’m guessing CityGirl found someone else. A foodie like her doesn’t seem the type to eat alone.

© 2008 DadsHouseBlog.com. All rights reserved.

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March 31, 2008 Posted by dadshouse | blind date, dating, first dates, internet dating, life, online dating, relationships, single dads, single men, single women | , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

When Online Dating Doesn’t Work, Use Your DNA

test tubesDear David,
online dating isn’t working for me. I’ve tried different dating sites for over a year now, with no luck. Granted, I go on plenty of coffee dates, but I haven’t even come close to finding Mr. Right. Is it me, or am I correct in thinking internet dating doesn’t work? I need your advice! Should I get an internet dating profile makeover? Would a professional photo help me look better online? Should I hire an editor to punch-up my profile essay? Help!
- Frustrated in Fresno

Dear Frustrated,

Believe me, I understand exactly how you feel. Through eight years of divorce I’ve done a lot of online dating, and like you, I haven’t found my ideal match. I hear it works for some people, but I’m skeptical. Despite success stories you might have heard about a sister’s roommate or a second cousin’s friend-of-a-friend finding love online, there are tens of millions of people on internet dating sites right now, most of whom aren’t quite so satisfied. It seems Jupiter Research found that “barely one quarter of users reported being very satisfied or satisfied with online personals sites.”

(I’m happy to share a good review of what’s wrong with online dating, citing studies and surveys to make the point. Sadly, such voices of reason tend to get drowned out by industry hype when there’s big money to be made. The New York Times reported that in 2007 online matchmaking industry subscription revenues were $650 million, while SmartMoney.com suggests the figure is $890 million. No wonder some dating advice sites happily suggest you give internet dating a try – there are referral commissions to be made!)

I won’t tell you internet dating sucks completely. It has proved an efficient way to meet strangers for coffee, drinks, dinner, and even booty calls. (Forget Adult Friend Finder, for casual dating Craigslist is totally free.) Internet dating is definitely for real, as researchers at UC Berkeley are trying to better understand the effect of online dating sites on how people interact.

But for finding the love of your life, my advice is this: give online dating a rest. Cancel your online matchmaking membership and hide your internet dating profile. Get out, mingle, flirt in everyday life. Join a club. Go to the gym. Volunteer for a cause. Put yourself out there.

And if that doesn’t work, use your DNA.

That’s right, there’s now (online, of course) a service that will match you genetically with a prospective partner. Talk about chemistry! For $1,995.95 (less 50% off until February 2009), you can join ScientificMatch.com. They’ll have you swab the inside of your cheek with cotton and send them a sample of your DNA. (I’m not sure whether it’s best to swab after enjoying your favorite meal or cocktail, or whether your mouth should be antiseptically clean. I’m guessing this is addressed in ScientificMatch.com’s DNA collection kit.)

Apparently, a chemical match like this provides amazing benefits, including: “you’ll love their natural body fragrance–they’ll smell ‘sexier’ than other people,” and “there will be less cheating in your exclusive relationship,” and “your children will be healthier.”

What’s not to like?

In short, Frustrated, it’s not you, or the photo in your profile, or the 250 words in your essay. Online dating doesn’t work. Instead, swab a bit of that double-helix magic out of your mouth, and Mr. Right will soon be on his way.

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March 28, 2008 Posted by dadshouse | blind date, dating, first dates, internet dating, life, online dating, relationships, sex, single dads, single men, single moms, single parents, single women | , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Bruschetta Recipe

BruschettaHere’s a savory appetizer that’s so easy to fix, you can serve it weeknights. As a snack for kids, it’s healthier than a big of chips, and they’ll love the taste. Try to mix the ingredients as soon as you get home from work so there’s ample time for the flavors to meld.

4 Roma tomatoes, chopped fine (or 1 can of petite cut tomatoes)
1 garlic clove, chopped fine
a few leaves of basil, torn into small pieces (dried basil is okay)
a shake of dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Let them sit on the countertop marinating for an hour or more. Stir occasionally. Serve on toasted sourdough bread that is torn or cut into two inch squares. (The picture shows parmesan cheese, but I usually do without.)

Mmmm!

© 2008 DadsHouseBlog.com. All rights reserved.

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March 27, 2008 Posted by dadshouse | food recipes, life, parenting, recipes | , , , , | 1 Comment

When a Married Man is a Wingman

Fighter jetAs a divorced dad in my forties, I don’t have a lot of single guy friends. So when a married buddy offers to be my wingman for an evening out, I gladly accept. Having a friend along for drinks is fun on its own, but when you’re trying to meet women it can be a necessity. Drinking alone at a bar can make even the nicest of guys look like a creep. With a friend you’re laughing, smiling, and more at ease, all of which makes you look more attractive.

(Dining alone at a restaurant bar is a different story, and is a great way to meet people, be they business travelers or locals who are single.)

The problem is, some married men use their wingman role as a ruse to meet women. Sure, any married person deserves some playful sexual sparring with members of the opposite sex other than their spouse. It’s healthy to flirt. But how much is too much? A married man as wingman can be bad for everyone involved.

I’ve had married buddies compete with me for a woman’s attention. It’s hard enough to meet people to date, even tougher when your friend butts his head in with nothing at stake.

I’ve had married buddies charm the girlfriend of a woman I’m talking to, so much so that the girlfriend wants to date him. Didn’t she ask if he was married? Didn’t he tell her? (Some married men don’t wear rings, at least not in bars.)

I’ve had married buddies’ wives ask me why I kept their husband out so late – on nights he didn’t even go out with me!

Please know that not all married guys are like this. (From my experience I’d say most married guys are not like this.) But some are. They betray their spouses and friends, and smile and lie to the women they meet.

Why do they do it? Some men are unhappy in their marriages. Some like the thrill of the chase. Some need to feel the spark of sexual conquest. A lot simply need women to love them. They’ll say anything to make a woman think he’s the most fabulous creature on earth, sometimes by simply noticing things about her and helping her feel great about herself. It’s an ego need. (Random pop psychology note: often when a person feeds off the adoration and love of others, they are doing so because they don’t love themselves.)

As for me, next time I’m out I might go by myself. Just don’t automatically think I’m a creep for drinking alone. I might be doing it to help a married friend stay out of trouble. Or at the very least, let him find trouble without my help.

© 2008 DadsHouseBlog.com. All rights reserved.

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March 26, 2008 Posted by dadshouse | bar scene, cocktails, dating, life, relationships, sex, single dads, single men, single women | , , | 5 Comments

How to Marry a Millionaire

Bride and groomWant to marry a millionaire? Of course you do. All other things being equal – looks, personality, intelligence, spirit – why not pick a man of means? Money isn’t everything, but it sure can enable a comfortable lifestyle. (And what woman couldn’t use an extra Prada bag or two…)

Here are some Bay Area hot spots to find a well-off man.

The Redwood Room in San Francisco’s Clift Hotel has an infamous scene for beautiful women and ultra-wealthy men, though it’s unclear who is preying on whom. Let’s just say a woman with Angelina Jolie’s looks could get any number of men to not only divulge their previous year’s earnings, but also present their W2 right on the spot. If showy displays of disposable income are your cup of tea, this place is perfect.

There are working-class millionaires at Google and other high-tech companies toiling away their days in a cubicle. A net worth of a few million dollars just doesn’t go very far these days, especially when you’re trying to keep up with the Jones’s who have tens or even hundreds of millions in investments. I’m not necessarily saying that a workplace romance is the best idea, but it sure can’t hurt to put yourself in the daily company of engineers who have seven-figure bank accounts.

You could cycle on the peninsula at lunch with a crowd that doesn’t need to work. Or get drinks at Sam’s in Tiburon on a sunny weekend afternoon, and join the sailing crowd for cocktails. Or network through friends; someone’s bound to know someone who’s rich. (If you’re looking for billionaire wealth, I might have introduced you to a former work colleague (we sat two cubicles apart), Pierre Omidyar, who went on to found eBay and is listed by Forbes as the 120th wealthiest person in the world. But alas for you, Pierre is happily married.)

You might consider joining an internet dating site like MillionaireMatch or an upscale matchmaking service that caters to the rich. Though you have to wonder whether a man who advertises the size of his wallet as the primary criteria for finding a mate has issues. (My blog readers know I don’t put much faith in online dating or the advice sites that cater to it.)

You could rent a penthouse and pretend to be part of the jet-setting crowd, like Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 movie, How to Marry a Millionaire. Of course, as the film aptly demonstrates, there are far stronger factors at play than just money to bring two people together.

And men of means don’t always flaunt it.

Just because a man has money doesn’t mean he leads the life of an international playboy. Some millionaires are quite grounded, living quietly off investment income, leading a stress-free life doing work they love. This sort of well-off man would rather a woman love him for his qualities than go ga-ga for his bank account.

Now then, where’s my W2? (No, I’m not heading to the Redwood Room. I need to do my taxes.)

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March 24, 2008 Posted by dadshouse | dating, internet dating, life, relationships, single men, single women | , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Single Parent, Empty House, Full Life

Flowers in window of houseOne of the huge joys of parenting is simply spending time with your loving family. Coming home to a house full of kids excited to see you can take the edge off any bad day. Conversely, one of the worst feelings for a single parent with shared custody happens on nights when the kids are with the ex, and you come home to an empty house. How does a single parent live a full life when half the time they’re alone?

When my wife and I separated, I moved into my own place. For the first three months, I was so busy furnishing the apartment with every big (and little) thing we needed – kitchen table, couch, TV, beds, sheets, pillows, sponges, broom – I barely noticed I was alone on nights the kids were with their mom. But three months into it, with everything bought and errands no longer serving as a distraction, it hit me hard.

My marriage had crumbled. My spouse, lover, and friend had become an enemy. The family I helped create no longer existed whole. Here I was, living in a tiny apartment I didn’t much like, painfully unhappy and entirely alone.

Divorce was one of the hardest things I ever went through. It took a few years to work through the shock, depression, remorse, and other roller-coaster feelings I was forced to endure. (I could write a book about that process.)

But come out of it I did. While I still suffer the occasional night of feeling depressed and sorry for myself, wondering how I lost the family I’d cherished, and sad about the alternating holidays and vacations I can’t share with my kids, for the most part I’m okay when they’re with their mom and I’m on my own.

Here are some ways I cope:

Cooking – I cook dinner whether my kids are with me or not. When they’re here, I feel great knowing I’m preparing them a healthy and tasty meal. When it’s just me, it feels good to take care of myself. Either way, cooking is an act of giving love. Plus, immersing myself in the process of cooking keeps my mind occupied on what I’m creating, rather than on what I lack. When dinner’s ready, the meal is the reward.

Eating out – some nights my fridge is empty, or maybe I want to feel cared for by someone else, so I head to a favorite restaurant and (this is key): eat at the bar. Most bars are social environments. Chatting up the patron next to you is way more fun that sitting at a table alone.

Furnish and decorate – after moving out of my divorced-man apartment to a house, I didn’t furnish the living room because I planned to meet a woman, remarry, and let her decorate. Bad idea. For months whenever I walked through this empty room, I was reminded of what I lacked, that I was without a new wife. Finally I bought furniture for this room (with design help from a female decorator). Now when I’m there, I’m reminded of all I have – this is my home – and I feel great.

Friends – invite friends over for dinner or to watch a ballgame on TV, or suggest meeting at a restaurant or heading to a movie or concert. Accept every invitation you receive. The company is great, and you might just find yourself in a position to make even more friends. Try to keep the conversation positive – even the best of friends will eventually tire of hearing your divorce woes. They have problems, too. You don’t have to avoid negative talk completely, just try to be thankful and grateful for the good in your life. You attract what you put out to the world.

Get chores and extra work done – if you get stuff out of the way when the kids are with the other parent, you’ll have more quality time when the kids are with you.

Reading – I used to worry that if I wasn’t out in the bars trying to meet someone to date, I would be unhappy and alone for the rest of my days. But I tired of this drinking lifestyle, and realized I could choose to be happy simply by doing things I liked. I love reading, and will happily sit with a book, either at home or in a coffee house, and have an enjoyable evening.

Watch a great movie or music DVD – it doesn’t have to be date night to enjoy a good film. Watch those war movies or westerns or chick-flick romances that a date won’t want to see.

Italian Serie A Soccer – my daughter has played soccer all her life, and so I’ve really gotten into the game. This past year I got Tivo and Fox Soccer Channel, and now I can watch a different Serie A match every night of the week. (I’m partial to the giallo rossi, biancho neri, and rosso neri – AS Roma, Juventus, and AC Milan. Andiamo!)

There are plenty of other great ideas, like taking a class (a new language, cooking, wine tasting – anything with a social element), joining a club or sports team (volleyball is huge around here, and it’s co-ed), getting a cat or a dog. Do things you enjoy. Focus on the good in your life. Live in the present moment.

Of course, nothing can replace time lost with your kids. But whether they’re physically with you or not, you can love them just the same. And what feels better than that?

© 2008 DadsHouseBlog.com. All rights reserved.

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March 21, 2008 Posted by dadshouse | family, home, life, single dads, single moms, single parents | , , , , | 9 Comments

Negroni Cocktail Recipe

negroniAh, the negroni, savior of many family get-togethers. One of the first things my brothers and I do when we’re at our parents’ house is make a pitcher of this cocktail. Booze is a great way to ease everyone into the swing of a holiday gathering. The negroni works well because it isn’t as harsh as a martini; its bitter and sweet taste makes for a great aperitif. Best of all, it’s plenty strong enough to make us all a bit loopy. And what’s more fun than watching Grandma get a bit loopy?

1 part Bombay Sapphire Gin
1 part Campari
3/4 part Martini and Rossi Sweet Vermouth (Rosso)
Build (pour ingredients into an old-fashioned glass with ice), and stir
Serve with a twist of orange peel (for burnt orange, hold a match under the twist)

© 2008 DadsHouseBlog.com. All rights reserved.

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March 21, 2008 Posted by dadshouse | cocktail recipes, cocktails, life | , | 2 Comments

My Golden Retriever is Smarter Than Your Honor Roll Student

Golden RetrieverOn the way to school this morning my kids and I saw a bumper sticker that read: My Golden Retriever is Smarter Than Your Honor Roll Student. I didn’t find it particularly amusing, but my daughter cracked up.

“Why is that funny?” I asked.
“Not all schools are equal,” she said. “An honor roll student someplace else might be a C student at my school. I wouldn’t be surprised if their dog is smarter than some honor students.”

Nothing like a dose of academic elitism to start the morning.

“Well, I didn’t think it was funny,” I said. “Look at the car it’s on – an emerald Lexus with a gold badge.” I believe standard Lexus logos are chrome, so gold would have been a vanity upgrade for which the owner of this sleek SUV paid extra.

“So?” my daughter asked.
“So the car’s owner is saying that no matter how well you do, it’s still not good enough. Even their dog is better than you.” And surely, pure-bred.

We live in Silicon Valley where there are more than a fair share of egotistical and narcissistic people. It’s the psychological force that fuels a lot of high-tech success. I’ve seen it in action plenty of times at work, with people putting down another’s idea, no matter how brilliant, simply because it came from someone else. NIH – Not Invented Here – is a collective battle cry oft heard in Valley cubicles. On a more personal level, I had an ex who put down everything I did, and I react strongly to snobbery. Of course my interpretation of the bumper sticker was correct.

And, for where my daughter is in life and all she’s been through thus far, her interpretation was correct, too.

In other words – the bumper sticker had no intrinsic meaning. The meaning we each ascribe to it comes from individual perspective. It’s all in our minds.

My son offered his reaction: “Can we get a dog?”

© 2008 DadsHouseBlog.com. All rights reserved.

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March 20, 2008 Posted by dadshouse | family, life, parenting | , , , , | 2 Comments

Be Wary of Dating Expert Advice Sites

Bounty FeeSo, you’re thinking about giving online dating a try, but you have cold feet and you google for expert dating advice. Be wary – some sites offering free advice are really there to sell you on the idea of internet dating, and make money off you in the process. Without you giving them a dime.

How do they do it? Many of the leading dating advice blogs and websites provide links to online dating sites like match.com, chemistry.com, and eHarmony. Some of those links are clearly ads, but others look more innocuous - simple text pointers to helpfully guide you through the vast array of matchmaking options. But click on one of these links, and the blogger or website can earn a referral fee.

While writing this post I looked into making Dad’s House an affiliate of MillionaireMatch.com. (Click that affiliate link to see an image of business people jumping with glee for some mega-sized piles of cash. It might just motivate you to become an affiliate.) The affiliate application asked for my social security number, and I chose not to join, but had I become a member – every time someone followed a pointer from my blog to the “award winning” Millionaire Match website and joined the service, I’d earn a $30 commission for pointing the way. (Their user agreement refers to this commission as a Bounty Fee.)

(Random thought #1: with regard to Millionaire Match, it seems to me that any guy who thinks that advertising his net worth is the top criteria for finding the love of his life might just have ego issues. But hey, who am I to get in the way of Cupid’s arrow?)

(Random thought #2: the $30 commission I’d get as an affiliate who referred you to join MillionaireMatch.com would buy me three strong martinis at my favorite bar. If enough people joined, we could have a martini party!)

Back to the Dating Expert Advice blogs – knowing that a blogger can make money when you sign up for an online dating service, do you really think that blogger will say anything bad about online dating? Hardly. There’s too much at stake.

Instead, they will hold your hand (online dating sounds scary to some…), stroke your head (but if you really want to meet the right person, you have to put yourself out there…), give you a pacifier (internet dating sites aren’t equal; here are my favorites…), encourage your first steps (go on, you can do it, just click one of these links), and congratulate you for finally taking the online dating plunge.

I prefer my expert dating advice unfiltered.

Ms. Single Mama points out that for single parents trying to date, online dating is sometimes the only viable option. She also says she didn’t have much success with it, but named some sites that worked for her girlfriends, and some free sites that might be worth a look (simply because they are free). She hates eHarmony and thinks it’s a scam, citing her own experience and pointing to a TIME article that named the eHarmony site worst website of 2007.

Then there’s Moxie who suggests that “if you’re a woman in your mid 30’s - mid 40’s, online dating is a wasteland, no matter how good looking you are.” She also advises that most quality guys “probably don’t take online dating seriously.”

Single Mom Seeking’s readers ranted about online dating “lifers” who have had profiles posted on the same dating sites for years. So many people lamenting their disappointments and lack of success with internet dating…

And of course, my own experiences have led me to believe that internet dating doesn’t work. It’s an efficient way to meet someone, and a terrible way to meet the right one. As Malcolm Gladwell points out in Blink, research suggests that attraction and chemistry are things felt when people meet, not attributes thought about and articulated beforehand.

You might want to take dating expert advice sites with a grain of salt. When you click a link, watch out for referral IDs (random looking numbers and/or letters that are part of the URL address, e.g. http://matchMakingSiteDotCom/af-1234567) And by all means, join an online dating site like MillionaireMatch.com.

If it was me who earned the referral commission, I’d definitely think of you while enjoying my three martinis.

© 2008 DadsHouseBlog.com. All rights reserved.

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March 18, 2008 Posted by dadshouse | dating, internet dating, life, relationships, sex, single men, single women | , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Passion, Talent, Heart and Soul - My Legacy for a Song

trumpetI’m not one of those Little League dads who forces his kids to excel at sports, be the star, and win at all costs with dreams of one day turning pro. I’m also not one of those Ivy-obsessed parents who demands straight-As from every AP course, and kindergarten graduation with honors. I’m a firm believer in kids being encouraged to discover and pursue their passions, even if the outcome doesn’t match the parents’ view of what’s best for the child. Why push someone to prepare for a lucrative biotech career if their passion is art?

I should know, I experienced this firsthand. Good grades and my parents’ guidance led me to a successful and rewarding engineering career, but my heart and soul eventually steered me to writing.

And so when it came time for my son to choose electives for middle school, I let him fill out the selection sheet by himself. Drama, Spanish, Engineering, Art.

“What about band?” I asked.
“I don’t want to play anymore,” he said.

Really? He’d been playing trumpet for two years and had always been first chair. He was the only trumpeter selected from his school for a district-wide jazz band. He has a big fat sound, and can hit a high-C. He has real musical talent.

“But you’re good at it,” I said.
“I don’t like practicing,” he said.

I was skeptical. He often practiced without being reminded, and he loved performing solo for family and friends. When Johnnie Comes Marching Home, La Cucaracha, Theme From Hawaii Five-O. After enjoying front-row seats for Eric Miyashiro video, a Maynard Ferguson protégé playing in concert with a local college jazz band, my son doubled the length of his practice times.

“But you have fun when you’re playing,” I said.
He thought for a second. “I don’t want to have to carry my trumpet to school every day.”

He was throwing up a wall of excuses. Maybe music had lost its allure. Or maybe he’d simply had a bad week in band. At any rate, who was I to push him to keep playing?

I’m his dad, and trumpet is my legacy.

My son had chosen trumpet because of me. I played trumpet from fourth grade all the way through college; playing in band while studying computers had kept me sane. And I’d picked trumpet because of my dad, a former trumpet player and band director. Music was in our blood, in my son’s blood.

I wasn’t being overbearing, pushing him toward Juilliard. I just didn’t want the trumpet legacy to die.

“Don’t you want to play trumpet in high school?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he said.
“It’s really fun,” my daughter said. She wasn’t in band, but she’s in high school and she knows. She started naming friends who were in the band.

“Maybe I’ll play in high school,” my son said.
“Then you have to play in middle school,” she said, “or you won’t be good enough.”
She was a good ally for me, but my son sighed and shook his head. “Spanish is fine,” he said.

My legacy was languishing, gasping for breath.

“Band is pretty social,” I said. “It’s not like sports where boys and girls play on separate teams.”
“Oh my God, everyone in band dates,” my daughter said.
“Really?” my son asked, perking up.
“Absolutely,” I said. “It’s where I met my high school girlfriend.”

My son grinned broadly, clearly pleased with his own prospects. For music, for girls. He said the magic words.

“Sign me up for band.”

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March 16, 2008 Posted by dadshouse | children, dating, family, life, parenting | , , , , , | 1 Comment