Last week was “Father’s Day” week, and ties a plenty flew off the shelves to compliment the existing collection that any Dad worth his salt invariably has nowadays.
Yes I know… This is not your typical After Break Up article, (but there is a reference to this way down below), and there are no references to dating, Double Your Dating, How To Attract Women or any other Relationship Advice.
This article is all about love though… Love, family, and the joys that life brings us, like Father’s Day.
And as is the custom, ties were on the menu last week for many a Dad. Not that it takes a special week for a gentleman to wear a tie, most men who work in offices wear one, and thus, ties are a common gift for fathers.
But there are some Dads who very seldom wear a tie of course, and certainly no to work…
Nope. In fact, nowadays, more and more Dads and Moms work at home and the dressing code when your daily commute is all of 30 seconds is not always as rigid as it is outside, in the real world. And in my case, pretty much never…
So what do you give such a Dad?
What did my family give me? Not a tie…
A Nook!
For those of you who don’t know what that is, a Nook is an electronic reader, much like the Kindle, because you see, in this modern world we live in, books in their current paper form are at risk of becoming a thing of the past. Not that this is a bad thing given the scarcity of trees, but it shows how our world has evolved. I always tell my kids that if my grand father was alive today, he would hardly recognize the way we do things now.
What hasn’t changed though is the pleasure of giving and I could sense the excitement as I was called to the dinner table last Friday night. Dinner at the table is a daily event in our household and we all cherish this time together as we sit together around the table for at least one meal a day.
But this dinner felt different. There was an urgency in the call and when I saw my son walk through the door, (he works and lives in Miami now that he’s become a man), I knew something was up. After the commotion of the reunion with our prodigal one, I was urged to my seat, and I felt like a Pasha, loved, respected and about to be fed.
Lights were dimmed, a great hush descended in our dinning room, a blessing so great that the silence was nearly noisy and then the gift… Neatly wrapped and carried in reverence by my daughters.
And then the shouts.. Happy Father’s Day! And the kisses. Butterflies of love planted at random all over me. And as the last one lingered for a moment more before flying back to her seat, there I was, with a present in front of me!
Ahh the pleasures of giving and receiving, the giggles, the joys..
And my amazement at what it was that my loved ones had chosen for me…
A NookColor!
After dinner, we all retired to the living room where I finally transformed myself into the technological Dad I always felt resided somewhere inside of me, deeply hidden in the recesses of my brain. I had several pairs of eyes zoomed in on me and their delight was palpable.
And so was mine…
Later, as the time came for the little ones to go to bed, and my son to hit the road and drive home, we walked him out to his car to set him on his way. He had love in his eyes, and a funny smile on his face when he turned to say good bye to me…
So… Are you going to jail break your Nook?
Of course I said..
And as soon as he was gone I hurried to my office to ask Google what jail breaking a Nook really was!
Ten days later, and countless hours of finding out, I finally know and my Nook is now duly jail broken, rooted as the geeks would say. And a match for any iPad I would say!
And thus began my new life as a Technological Dad.
ps. The reason we celebrated Fathers day 2 days earlier is that our family is the consequence of an after a break up event and that weekend, my two youngest Daughters were going to be with their Dad and not with us. 
pps. If you want to know how to rook a Nook and avoid yourself the painful hours trying this method and that to find out that it didn’t work, send me an email. I will be very happy to send you the simple instructions that worked, simple enough that even this old fart was able to follow.
That was a sweet experience you shared on being a father and finding ways to connect with your loved ones.
I may not yet be a parent, but I do empathize with your story on connecting with kids, as I could speak from their perspective as well.
Great to have heard your story!
Yasser Khan
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Dr. Dad Reply:
July 1st, 2011 at 6:08 pm
Thank you Yasser, and hopefully soon, you too will experience the joys of being a Dad!
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Hi Stevie,
Sounds like you had the perfect father’s day.
I do cherish the time with my children even though they are no longer little ones or kids…as a matter of fact they already have their own…
Father’s day here in Australia is not until Sept.
Thanks for sharing you father’s day with us.
Cheers
Bryan
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Dr. Dad Reply:
July 1st, 2011 at 6:03 pm
Well Bryan, let me wish you a happy father’s well in advance then. Good to be a Grand Dad though isn’t it?
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This is a great piece of writing. It felt like I was right there celebrating with you!
My family is also part of the “after the break up” crowd and sometimes holidays can be a bit awkward. But not Fathers Day (or Mothers Day for that matter) – there is no sense that they need to split the day. Fathers Day was all about me.
I like that.
As for your Nook, congrats on entering the world of technology, although I’m quite sure you’ve entered that world with your cell phone already.
I have a Kindle and I like it very much, especially for long trips where I don’t have to bring a bunch of books to read. But I discovered something about my reading habits.
Given the choice, I prefer the real deal — I like the feeling and the smell of a good book in my hands. I like highlighting and writing in the margins, and I love to bend down the pages for easy reference.
I know you can do all of these things with the electronic readers (well, maybe not the smell of a new book), but I just prefer the old way on this one.
Thanks for the great post!
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Dr. Dad Reply:
July 1st, 2011 at 6:02 pm
Hey Dr. Bob! Thank you for your comment. Good to see the “after the break up” component did not hinder on the celebrations.
I agree with you. Nothing beats the smell and feel of old fashioned books, but a Nook (or a Kindle) or any other electronic reader does have the advantage that you can test drive a book before actually buying it. That’s pretty cool. I can also read at night without the lights on and not disturb my sleeping wife next to me!
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I want one, I want one!
My father’s day gift was driving in the van all the way back to Chicago from Disney World in Orlando 
But more seriously, congratulations on your Nook! I know my father is into gadgets, and so am I. I think all men have technology woven into the fabric of their souls.
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Dr. Dad Reply:
July 3rd, 2011 at 5:51 pm
Hehe. I have to tell you that I “prepared” this father’s day gift well in advance. When the iPad came about, I made a lot of fuss about it saying how I would love to have one, and then pointed out the lack of usb port insinuating that I wouldn’t want it because of that. Then, whenever we went to Barnes and Nobles to pick a book I would hover around the nook area marveling out loud how this inexpensive device was a match for iPad at more than half the price. The seed was planted.
Sneaky I know, but even though I was hoping they had received the message, I was well chuffed and particularly happy when the gift duly arrived!
T’is good to be a Dad!
(And a husband too!)
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Sounds like you had a great Father’s Day! I live hours away from my Father but still get to talk to him and send him a heartfelt card and gift. Not the same as being there but celebrated still the same. Enjoy your Nook:)
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Dr. Dad Reply:
July 14th, 2011 at 1:24 pm
I will!!!
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This was a fantastic ride…
I love the excitement during “lights On” happy Father’s day…Yes, it was a pleasure walking through all the different feelings going through my body as I reviewed your story.
I can relate being a father of one.
I love this one and look forward to your next adventure. You do an amazing job presenting all these articles. Just a learning curve for all before such work can be produced.
Thanks for sharing and from all us fathers. We share the excitement of that day. Way to go!
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Dr. Dad Reply:
July 14th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
Thank you William. Yes, it’s pretty cool to be a father!
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Hope u had a fantastic fathers day mate…..
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It seems to me you had quite an amazing Father’s day celebration. Here, where I am currently residing, we do not have special ocassions or events done on that particular day.
I do know what a Nook is, however, I am a bit old fashioned about reading and I like the way it feels to be holding a book, turning its pages…It could be a thing of past, but until this way is completely abandoned, I will keep practicing it. What are your benefits to Nook over classical paper book?
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Dr. Dad Reply:
July 14th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
Hello Kristina. Which part of the world do you live in? The truth is we shouldn’t really need special occasions or events to remind ourselves of what is important but they serve their purpose.
I understand what you mean by the feel of a book, the turning of the pages etc.. but the nook reader has this cool feature that mimics the turning of the page. It’s pretty cool!
Advantages of the Nook over paper books? I can read at night without the light one!
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Though I am not a father now, I feel excited about the experience of being a father since it sounds excellent for the fathers who would get gifts and wishes from their children on Father’s Day. Now I am looking forward to becoming a father and know what I should do to my father.
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Dr. Dad Reply:
July 20th, 2011 at 2:02 pm
Being a parent has its challenges but I wouldn’t have it an other way!
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This is a totally awesome post! Hubby and I both work from home and many time that is in our pjs. Our friends tease us and ask us if we’re wearing our fuzzy slippers when we are on conference calls with them.
It is hard to buy for a guy (or gal) who doesn’t go to an office.
This year we found a door hanger thing that read: Dad’s Office Advice Available 24/7 – which he proudly hung on the door. Now – if the kids didn’t take that as license to knock whenever they want.
Ah the joys of working from home.
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Dr. Dad Reply:
July 20th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
“Dad’s Office Advice Available 24/7″
I love that one!!! Thank you for sharing Vanessa
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Hi Stevie:
It sounds like you have a family that loves you very much!
Thanks for sharing this part of your life with your readers.
Blessings,
Kevin
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Hi Stevie,
Thanks for sharing this post and vivid image of spending Father’s Day with your loved ones.
You also answered the age old question…”What do you get for the person who has everything?”
Answer: A Nook Color..
You also did a great job of connecting this post to your theme of breaking up in a very tender and humorous way…I love your writing style. It is very warm and sincere.
Happy to hear that you got such a great gift and spent quality time with your loved ones.
Never take your most cherished relationships for granted. Many relationships have their ups and downs and many DO NOT survive, but it sounds like you have a good thing going on.
To your continued success,
Marc
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I think giving ties for Fathers’ Day is really a great tradition. It is simple, yet it gives you a sense of what fathers are all about.
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Dr. Dad Reply:
September 1st, 2011 at 1:36 am
Very true. It’s personal. I remember receiving handkerchiefs one year (I know, not the exact thing) and they had my name sown on them. I was really pleased with that one. Still have and use them!
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Hello Stevie
Wow what a fantastic story. Your words drew to the next word in this story, which says a lot about the joy of living. Yes I remember those days when ties were the gift. Isn’t it exciting to not have to wear a tie and receive a gift like a nook. As I read this story I senses that the nook was not the most important gift that you received. Thanks for for sharing this personal time in your life.
Thanks
Perry A Davis Jr
Music City
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great issues altogether, you just won a logo new reader. What may you suggest about your post that you just made a few days in the past? Any sure?
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Dr. Dad Reply:
January 17th, 2012 at 3:52 pm
I don’t really know! What about you? Any Sure?
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Wow, you’re such a fortunate dad! I hope I get to experience that in the future… what’s great about the story is that your family understood just what you needed at that moment: a distraction that can work well for the office setting too! And that shows that they certainly took more than just effort to find you that gift!
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