Growing up and James and the Giant Peach

This year, I had the best New Year's experience of my life, I think. Instead of going out with my sister and her husband, exhausted and afraid I would hold back the party and prompt an all-too-early return home, I stayed in, drank Sam Adams, ate queso and chips, and watched one of my favorite kids' movies of all time, James and the Giant Peach.



It was one of my favorite New Year's for exactly the reason that it would seem so boring to other folks. It was nice to stay in and imagine what it would be like to have a wife and some kiddos and just enjoy a night in on New Year's Eve and give up childish things, as President Obama and First Corinthians might say.

I have to say that, for all of my reservations about President Obama's economic policies, I was really pleased with his focus on responsibility and growing up as a needed discussion within the culture in his inauguration speech. Too many of our political debates are focussed around self-righteous notions around what constitutes being good or right or ideologically or religiously pure and not nearly enough discussion of the very basic sentiment that I think Obama offered all Americans in that inauguration, both Congress and average Americans, and especially poor communities: learning to be grown-ups for our children. He did so without posturing and with a sincerity and an example that are both needed for that message to resonate.

As a young man looking to have a family and raise children, it was a message that was appropriate for this point in my life when this has been exactly my focus for the last couple of years. As soon as I get a girlfriend, first, of course.

At a personal level, this has been a theme of my life, as of late. And I have to say that I appreciate that I have finally taken seriously the need to straighten up and be a good example to my children long before I have them.

It's been the best part of being a teacher. Learning how important my example and my deeds, more than my words, are for young people, and especially for my children.

As I move into this new phase of my life, I realize just how important it is for me, as much as for anyone else, to put away childish things and be the father that I know I can be with a bit more maturity.

I'm looking forward to many more New Years' with family and quality kids' stories.

And that is something, I realize with experience, now, more than faith, that, for all of my concerns about choosing a career with more purpose than money, that money could never buy.