When I started writing this blog eight years ago, I debuted a weekly column called "Suburban Man." It was really just a humorous chronicle of my inept transition from radio producer to work-at-home-dad. I was in way over my head, and I thought people might get a kick out of it (or least feel better about themselves) when they read about my trial and error method of learning.
When Shore Magazine started a parenting magazine two years later, they asked me to bring "Suburban Man" over to their website and magazine. The name of the column was changed to "Father Knows Nothing" (which, I'll admit, is much better), and I wrote a column for them every week the last six years.
I loved it too. It kept me sane. When things were going badly in my house (which was every day), it forced me to look for the humor in every situation. A funny thing happens when you look for the humor in every situation. You start to enjoy life a lot more. I honestly credit Father Knows Nothing for doing that for me.
Before I knew it, I was savoring the experience of raising my boys. I was appreciating the little moments, something I had never been able to do before. And these columns did something even more important in the long run. They chronicled three childhoods. Tommy, Johnny, and Sean were 10, 7, and 3 when I started writing about them. Now they're 18, 15, and 11. (You're welcome, future therapists. You'll be able to pinpoint the exact moment I caused irreparable harm to their psyches).
I've written more than 400 columns about my boys and my wife and my life these past eight years. 400 columns that sometimes evolved into something totally different than I thought I was going to write when I sat down at the computer. The column helped me become a better writer, and it helped me become a better father. Without even realizing it, it forced me to spend hundreds of hours just thinking about my boys--trying to understand and help them.
It was a complete bonus to me that people really seemed to like it. The critics even liked it--which I still find hilarious. It was nominated for the Peter Lisagor Award (as best blog in Chicago) twice in the last three years by the Chicago Headline club. I've also been blown away by the many comments, letters, e-mails, and suggestions I've gotten from readers. I'll never be able to repay all of you for the times you made my day with a kind word.
But after eight years and 400 columns, I've decided that the time has come to hang up my keyboard. I let the editors of the magazine know about my decision yesterday. "Father Knows Nothing" is a column no more.
I'm not going to stop writing. I'm not even going to stop writing about my boys or my wife or my life. There will be frequent posts right here on this blog. But over the next year I'm going to convert Father Knows Nothing the column into Father Knows Nothing, the book. That seems like the perfect way to tie it all up with a little bow.
My goal is to release it at Christmastime next year (2014).
Can you guess which lucky publisher is going to release it?
