by Matt Aiken
Matt Aiken
It’s 2:15 p.m. And Siri thinks I should take a nap. Yes I’m just minding my own business as my cell phone chimes in with something called a Siri Suggestion.
“Start a timer for 12 minutes?” it says. I feel like my iPhone has crossed the line here. Because Siri knows that on certain non-deadline days, I will take a 12-minute rest while at home on my lunch break.
This is what I believe is called a Dad Nap.
Usually it happens when I’m “just resting my eyes.” Though it’s not by accident. Years worth of napping have taught me that 12 minutes is the perfect amount of time. Any less and it’s like nothing happened. Any more and I’m in danger of waking up three hours later, not knowing where I am and how I got there. 12 minutes. It’s the perfect number.
I explained this to sales rep Lindsey the other day and she seemed unnerved that I’m able to power up and down so quickly. “Are you a robot?” she asked. No, no, just a dad. And after a decade or so of being one, I feel as though I’ve developed other dad tendencies.
No I don’t own a pair of bright white New Balance sneakers. And I don’t own a zero-degree turn lawnmower. But I do enjoy a good Dad Joke. Did you know the capitol city of Ireland’s population is booming? In fact, it’s “Dublin.” See?
And I do have a very specific method for packing the trunk of a vehicle. It’s like Tetris but with luggage. This past Father’s Day, I believe my Dad Tendencies were on full display when we returned from a family trip in Orlando.
Almost by instinct, I rose with the sun, packed the trunk and hit the road bright and early in order to beat traffic. The kids wanted to sleep in. But there was no time for that. We had to make good time. And the need to make good time has been passed down from Aiken fathers for generations.
I am pleased to report that we did make good time. We left downtown Orlando at 8:30 a.m. and arrived in Dahlonega at 4:30 p.m. That included one stop for gas and then lunch at Firehouse Subs in Perry. We resisted the lure of Buc-ee’s because that place is a mad house.
Did I speed? Well yes, but only a dad-approved 10 miles above the speed limit. That, my dad says, is enough to go with the flow of traffic and not to get a ticket.
Lately I’ve realized that my dad taught me a lot of things. And a lot about being a dad.
Though one of the biggest lessons was much more than a lesson really. He was just there for me. Always. And no matter what. And even now.
That, I think, is the secret of being a good dad. Or really just a parent. Don’t worry about being perfect. Just be there.
And that’s what I plan to do for my kids. Incessantly. Though I will be taking many 12 minute naps along the way. And at some point, I’ll need to head to the outlet mall for a fresh pair of New Balances. The brighter the better.
Matt Aiken is publisher of The Dahlonega Nugget. He can be reached at maiken@thedahloneganugget.com.