Out-Numbered

Lately I've had a really hard time figuring out exactly what my role is as a father. When my kids were really young, my job as a parent was fairly straight forward. Don't let them die. "Hey honey. I'm taking the girls to the park for awhile." Don't let them die. "Hey babe. I'm taking the girls for manicures." Don't let them die. "Hey sweet heart. I'm taking the girls for a slice of pizza." Don't let them die. You get the picture. Now that my girls are older, things seem more complex. Particularly with my oldest. She is 12 and this is her first year of middle school. Middle school is hard. Really hard. I know because I went through it.  We all did. There are more kids, which means more personalities. There is more work, which means more pressure to succeed and there are more choices to be made.  Choices about drugs and alcohol. Choices about sex. Choices about go...

I started playing guitar when I was 12. I started taking lessons when I was 13. It might have been one of my first acts of manhood post Bar-Mitzvah. I played in my first talent show when I was 14 with my band Black Diamond. I was the rhythm guitarist. Kind of like Paul Stanley without pubes. I continued on with my lessons until I was 15 years old. By this point I had two electric guitars. I never learned how to read music. I never learned how to play more than 10 chords (being generous). I never practiced until the night before my lesson. The only reason I took up guitar lessons, is because I thought it would help me get chicks. I didn't even have pubes. Why would I have wanted to get chicks if I didn't have pubes? I am now 39 years old. I have two electric guitars, one acoustic guitar, a travel guitar, two amplifiers, a microphone (with stand), an electric keyboard, two harmonicas and a beautiful piano. I can't play more than 3 chords on the piano and I still suck shit bal...