Brand New Dude

   My second son joined us Thursday night and a heavy weight has lifted. Our first son's delivery was pretty rough on my wife and child. The experience put a healthy amount of fear in me. With all the modern advances, there is still a lot of potential danger involved in live childbirth.
   A lot of clarity has returned to my mind and I have been contemplating what to write next, then it became pretty clear. I am a stay at home dad and damn proud of it. It has allowed my family to live a life that would otherwise be unaffordable.
   You might think this is counterintuitive, but it really depends on your perspective and what you value. If a McMansion is on your list of successes, then this probably does not apply to you.
   I have gone against convention since my early teens and it comes pretty naturally. It is a shame that I still feel stigmatized for choosing this path. What would happen to the precious unemployment rate if one parent out of every family stayed home and reared the kids? It is clearly not for everyone.
   It is appropriate that I give my son an honorable mention. His pregnancy guided me to write down my thoughts as a new way to express myself. As we settle into a routine, I look forward to getting back to covering my unique, custom made, DIY projects.