"Let me tell you a story...
Deleting photos, I came across this one, just a gaggle of little tie-dye shirts and a huge lesson in manhood.
4 years ago, my son Connor had just gotten back from a year of study in Ireland and New Zealand, and was set to graduate college the following spring. He was 21, tall, strong, intelligent, confident to the point of cockiness.
I had just gotten home from a long, hot day at work when he pulled in from his job( he ran the town's playground program). I was probably a miserable prick, but he asked if I could give him a hand for a few minutes. I agreed.
So he pulls these garbage bags of wet tie-dyed shirts out of his car and starts to rinse them out and hang them to dry. I help. He explained that there was a field trip to the zoo, and kids made the shirts to be identified as part of the group.
"Why are you doing this on your own time?" I asked. "No shirt, no trip" was the response.
"How many kids?"
"50 some"
I shook my head, thinking what about the parents, where's your staff, you make peanuts a so on.
And every shirt, he tells me about the kid that made it, by name, little stories, smiling as he thought, a small belly laugh every so often.
50 some shirts.
50 some stories.
All by name.
On his own time.
2 months later, Connor passed away suddenly.
I think about this memory often. My son taught me what being a man is. Kindness as a moral obligation. Using your strength to foster and protect others. Just take the time to remember someone's name and what makes them special.
50 some little shirts."
https://www.facebook.com/kevin.glassett.3
