Dad: It Takes a Dad

By Bill Rodebaugh

Bill Rodebaugh is a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, PA. A retired insurance executive, a church leader, deacon, Sunday School teacher and a Rescue Mission Director. A graduate of Central High school in Philadelphia Bloomfield College and Seminary. Prior to enlisting in the U.S. Army he did graduate work at Temple University. Bill lives w

• Language: English
• Publisher: William F Rodebaugh
• Release date: Nov 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9781962587051

Book preview

Contents

Dedicated to

Introduction: Why write this Book

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Conclusion

Epilogue

Dedicated to

BOBBY

JOEY

ELMIRA

Introduction

Why write this Book

As a man grows older, he has more time to reflect upon so many things. He has raised his family. He may have buried his parents and other loved ones. He now takes that time for reflection. Writing this book affords me an opportunity to rehearse a part of my life I rarely discuss; not because it was hard or sad, but just because my life was very private, and we never discussed family outside the family.

I can also look at the early years and see how that time molded the man. Those years probably had more influence on me than I may want to admit. My earliest memories occurred in the city. Not the suburbs or in the country, that would be rural. But the city, where you froze in the winter and sweated in the summer. Refined people perspire. In the city you sweat. The city where you literally lived on top of one another. The city where, when you think back over the years, you wonder how on earth you survived.

The city—amazing and beautiful and at the same time ugly and cruel.

The things I write about are not meant to be malicious or vindictive. They are recollections and observations from my formative years. Time has a habit of coloring memories for better or worse.

These things I write about are what I learned from my dad. Also, these recollections prove to me that it doesn’t take a village or even a family to raise a young man. It takes a dad.

A mother provides the boy with warmth and affection. She wipes his nose. She kisses the hurt. She dries his eyes. From her, he learns what it means to be sensitive and even caring for others. But, this is only part of growing up to be a man.

Dads—good, bad or indifferent—exhibit manly qualities. These qualities are mimicked in one way or another by the son. What boy between the ages of 4 and 10 doesn’t think his dad is the strongest, bravest and smartest guy on the block. Dad could be a weakling and a coward, but not to his son.

To the son, dad is self-reliant. He doesn’t show weakness. He is strong in the face of adversity and can always work his way out of life’s difficulties. To the young son, dad is John Wayne personified.

I don’t anticipate that many feminists will read this book, and those that do won’t agree with me. I can’t prove anything I just said scientifically. Any opinion I express mentioning manly qualities will be dismissed by such individuals as the ravings of an old, chauvinistic misogynist. This can not be further from the truth.

There isn’t anyone I know who loves his wife, daughter, daughter-in-law and granddaughter more than me. There isn’t a man alive who is prouder more proud of the accomplishments and successes of the female members of my family than me.

A husband and wife are a team in the truest sense of the word. Each fulfills the task of raising the family, but at the same time, They are a team in the truest sense of the word. I’ve seen little boys become men, leaders of their families, decisive and strong because of having a dad. I’ve also seen little boys remain little boys well into adulthood without because of not having a dad.

Theses are my observations. They aren’t politically correct. They may not apply 100% percent of the time. They are only my thoughts. Could I be wrong about these observations? Maybe, but I don’t think so. It takes a dad to raise a man!

Chapter One

Visit any bookstore in the United States and, for that matter, any throughout the known world. In them you’ll find self-help books on how to be a loving parent, a compassionate parent, an understanding parent and virtually-any-other-adjective-you-can-think-of parent