Alex Stone

I wasn’t planning on writing a blog about my dad, but too many people I’m following on Twitter/Tumblr/misc seem to have some serious issues with their fathers and it overwhelmed me to think how fortunate I am to have my dad.

I’ll admit, it isn’t 100% happy times. I can think of a few not-so-happy words during report card time, and a few moments during my recent unemployment that I could certainly live without.

But let’s zoom out a bit and look at the big picture.

I like who I am. I like who I am, a lot actually. I like what I do. I like what I have. And I like the person I’ve become. Granted, things aren’t always the best they could be, but I’m not talking about my circumstances. I’m talking about me, as a person.

A great deal of that is due to my dad. My dad was the one that decided we needed an Apple II in the early 80s and a Macintosh SE in the 90s, starting my interest in computers and technology as a means to better your life.

It was my dad’s wacky sense of humor that helped me develop my own humor and my own self confidence to just be me, even when it wasn’t the most popular option.

It was my dad’s stories about how he met, approached, and married my mom that showed me that there’s no such thing as “out of your league”.

It was my dad that taught me that being a proud black American didn’t mean you had to act a fool, disregard the english language, and embarrass yourself. What “keeping it real” was really all about.

I like me. This is more than a lot of people can say about themselves and I owe this, in large part, to my dad.

Thanks dad.