7 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Being a Man and a Dad
Matt Sweetwood is an accomplished dad. He now can take an assessment on what qualities he has a man that got him there.
When I was little boy growing up in the New Jersey suburbs, my idea of a what it took to be a man was formed by the stereotypes I watched in the movies and on TV. I wanted to be a combination of Dirty Harry, James Bond (Sean Connery only) and the Fonz. Men were brave, good at sports, made lots of money, had pretty women, disciplined their kids and could kick-ass when needed. So I set out on my plan and course to manhood, checking off each quality on that list along the way.
As I went through my twenties, I felt like a real man. I was brave enough to graduate from a top Ivy League graduate school. I was running a large photo supply business, I had a pretty blonde wife with 5 kids, a membership at a prestigious country club (with a golfer of the year title under my belt), and after many years of karate, I could actually kick some butt — but only if necessary.
But my list and life dramatically changed in 1996, when I was 33 years old. My wife, and mother of our 5 little children, left us permanently. After one of the longest lasting divorces in New…
