Scapegoats and Sacred Cows

The following was written by my friend David. We were besties in junior high until I moved to a different town and we lost contact. We have reconnected thanks to the wonders of social media. David is a single dad to a beautiful little boy. This is his well-deserved rant, which I hope he turns into larger body of work.

I’m sharing it here because it gave me awareness of something I had never considered, and I hope it does the same for you.

You know. No offense to women/mothers but it irritates me sometimes that I never hear or see anything about single dads and how difficult it can be. It is always all about the single mom. You know at least women most always have a diaper changing station in the bathroom!?! I cannot tell you how many times I was out and about needing to change Parker’s diaper and had to make do with whatever and hear “honey where’s your wife? She will have to change him”. Like a man cannot change a diaper? And on that note do anything without a woman.

I have been looking at clothes before to buy for Parker and the clerk no joke said condescendingly “shouldn’t you check with mommy?” I was already hangry at that point (angry cause hungry mood) and I replied “I am daddy and mommy but thank you for sticking your extremely large nose into what is none of your business. Don’t you have something to fold?!?” Parker and I went to the food court and ate immediately. I then walked back into the store and apologized to the clerk.

But that does not negate the fact of the statement she made, or the commonly perceived notion that men are inept and incapable of raising a child on their own.

A single dad does everything a single mom does.

Okay, I will step down off of my soap box now.