This last summer I had the opportunity to really take a ride down Shakedown Street as I attended The Gathering of the Vibes with two of my best pals, Jared Terry and Ned Resch, in the Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut area.
Don't believe me?? Check out the picture below...that's us on the front row for our second consecutive night of seeing Further--or as they used to be known, The Grateful Dead.
I promise those two guys with me are my friends and I am with them--despite the heinousness with which I stand out. (This photo was taken by a Connecticut newspaper...probably to show how ridiculously out of place I look).
Despite how I look, I really enjoyed the festival and I really enjoyed the music and the vibes. But more importantly, I enjoyed the company--which is why I've chosen Ned and Jared to be co-inspirators to my third edition of "Fathers I Want to be Like."
Editors Note: I realize that I have yet to write one of these about my own father...it's coming. All of these are leading up to one about my own dad...I promise.
I'll start with Nedder...Ned has two young kids. A stalwart, strong, handsome son and a beautiful daughter. After spending time in Ned's house, it was very clear to me what Ned's priorities were in life--he lives for those kids (and his lovely wife Melissa, of course), but those kids are his main priority...and I appreciated the interactions I saw him have with his kids while we were there.
I think that when you have company from out of town staying with you and you haven't seen them in so long, it can be easy to look past those that are around you all the time (i.e. children). But Ned never did. I appreciated the moments when we were on the way out the door to go to a concert or a ball game and we were delayed by a few minutes because, without warning, Ned was playing the villain to his son's portrayal of Batman...or because he was all of a sudden holding his little girl and telling us repeatedly "look how cute she is" or "Flanny, is this not the cutest little girl you've ever seen?" (To which I would respond that she was in a three-way tie with my two little nieces...:))
The point is...it didn't matter what we had in store. If Ned's kids were there, he was 100% their dad, all the time. I respect, appreciate, and admire that attribute. I want that type of prioritization for my child.
Now, Jared Terry will always have a special place in my life (and I'm not just saying that because he owns the best BBQ joint in Utah County...which he does, Five Star BBQ...check it out). Jared's been someone I have admired for so many years, for so many reasons.
It was on our trip to Ned's house in Providence when I realized that Jared had qualities as a dad that I wanted--the same as Ned...that same type of prioritization. He told me on so many occasions that trip that all of his drive, all of his passion for success, comes because of his studly little son.
Jared gets it. He understands that his little boy is everything (and of course his lovely wife, Joni...the brains behind the operation). His son is his top priority. There are few dads who are as proud of their little boy as much as Jared is of his.
These two guys have it figured out. They know where their priorities lie. I hope I have that same commitment and drive and ability to prioritize once my child arrives.
Also, I hope to visit Shakedown Street with those guys again soon...
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