“I’m fine. Thank you,” I replied as I was pulling my leg from under the motorbike, trying to stand up. “Is this oil from your engine, or was it already there?” she asked. I wasn’t sure. I think I lost balance as my bike got to a standstill on top of the hill at the intersection, or I might have slid on the motor oil already there.

Breathe. Focus. Listen. Explore. Choose. Act.

I read between the lines and remembered my conversations to try and get wisdom from the fathers I interviewed. They don’t tell stories of being fathers. They are. This is an attempt to squeeze fatherhood from their stories. Here we go.

I’m not big on celebrations, especially birthdays. Let me correct that. I’m not big on loud, distracting parties when I want to celebrate. It is counterintuitive, and I’m sure I’ve missed a lot of fun.