Often, father knows best

Resslin' Around, by Casey Ressler

There it was, about 75 feet in the air, wedged in between two branches with no hope of returning to Earth. It was No. 314 in my personal mental book of lessons I've learned as a father -- your 2-year-old won't be as impressed as your 28-year-old buddy because you can kick a rubber ball more than 100 feet in the air, and you may risk getting it stuck in a tree.

For dads, there are lessons to be learned every step of the way. My mental book of things to remember as a dad is overfilled, because even when you don't think you are learning anything new, a situation pops up and your child will remind you that you are a lifetime scholar.

Take, for instance, speed bumps. No big deal, right? Well, as a new dad can tell you, you never, never go to Carrs when your baby first falls asleep in the truck, because you risk going over speed bumps which will wake her up, and then there is hell to pay all evening because of the short nap. Just when you thought you knew everything as a dad, they install speed bumps at the grocery store. I know I won't be able to enjoy the 10 p.m. SportsCenter if we go to Carrs around 1 p.m. that same day, because it will cut short a nap and lead to hours or crabbiness.

In fatherhood, there are lessons to be learned at every corner, quite literally. At the corner of Crusey Street and the Parks Highway, for example, I've learned navigation skills. At that corner, you can see the Golden Arches. You have to take a quick detour around the corner if you don't want to give in and stop for French fries, with a 45-minute drive-thru wait on average as a result. If I have to go to Palmer, it's more timely going to Willow and taking Hatcher Pass Road across to Palmer than to pass McDonald's in downtown Wasilla.

Another lesson to remember is that no matter how darling your child may look, and how cute her demands may seem, often, Dad is right and child is wrong. Like when we are driving, and from her backseat throne/car seat, Madison starts telling me, "go faster, Dad, go faster."

"Funny, funny, hee, hee," I originally thought, and I didn't touch the gas pedal. But she knows I'll do anything for her, so eventually, I gave in, and the next thing I know, I'm doing 75 through town and I've got a motorcade of trooper vehicles behind me. A speeding ticket is a small price to pay to keep your baby happy.

Perhaps the biggest lesson I've learned since I became a father is that my dad isn't as dumb as I once thought he was. In fact, he knows a lot more than I ever will, like how to change a car's oil, how to weld and how to fix things without reading the directions.

Just a few years ago, I thought I knew everything about every subject. My parents were just like every other set of parents, and they didn't know a thing -- but the birth of my daughter has showed me the error of my ways.

I've got a lot to learn, but my dad, well, he's 26 years ahead of me in Fatherhood School. By now, he knows better than to even attempt to kick the ball over the tree.

Happy Father's Day.

Casey Ressler (valleylife@frontiersman.com) is the Valley Life editor. He can't wait to teach his daughter how to fly fish.