On Hiatus: Pursuing a New Dream in 2022

— December 31, 2021—

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] launched this blog four and half years ago on Father’s Day. At the time, my daughter was two months shy of her third birthday and I was finding my way as a father.

Since then Fatherhood@Forty has chronicled my journey as a husband, ausome dad, and wingtip shoe enthusiast; connected me to a diverse community of fathers; and amplified my voice on social issues that concern me.

Along the way, my writings have been featured on HuffPost, The Good Men Project, City Dads, Fatherly, and even Scary Mommy. I’ve appeared on parenting podcasts, shot a YouTube video for Dove+Men Care, read from the stage at Dad 2.0,  been spotlighted on the Oprah Winfrey Network, and nominated for Dad Blog of the Year in the Iris Awards.

It’s been a good ride so far.

Now as the pandemic stretches on, I’m taking a nine-month break from this blog to devote as much time as I can to pursuing a new creative dream that will stretch my growth as a writer. Yes, I’m writing a book (fiction), inspired by the trials and revelations I’ve experienced over the past two years.

“Do not be afraid to disappear. From it, from us, for a while. And see what comes to you in the silence.” – Michaela Coel

I received an extra kick in the butt last September while watching the Emmy Awards. That’s when Michaela Coel of “I May Destroy You” fame took the stage to accept her Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and issued a challenge to the audience:

“Write the tale that scares you, that makes you feel uncertain, that isn’t comfortable. I dare you. In a world that entices us to browse through the lives of others to help us better determine how we feel about ourselves, and to, in turn, feel the need to be constantly visible—for visibility, these days, seems to somehow equate to success—do not be afraid to disappear. From it, from us, for a while. And see what comes to you in the silence.”

I’m heading into the silence for a bit.

See you in September 2022.

Father on,

P.S. I may pop up in June for Father’s Day or whenever inspiration strikes.

CREDITS:
Feature image by Photo by William Daigneault on Unsplash
Banner image by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash