Sacrifies For Kids
I woke up today at 5:30am. It has been a while since I have woken up that early. I usually get up at 7 and get my day started. But today is a little different.
My son has been asking me for a long time if we can workout together. I kept telling him yes and pushed it off. Then we joined a small gym which really was not a great gym for working out together. I can’t explain it, but let’s say there was a lot of treadmills and not a lot of benches or machines. So it works for cardio, but nothing else.
So last week we joined a big box gym. You know, like a LA Fitness type gym but not Planet Fitness. There was plenty of benches and machines and cardio and everything else. You should have seen his face. It was excitement and nervousness and everything.
I have spoken about him before, but my son is 13, 14 in three weeks. He is around five seven and 170 of pure muscle. He eats healthier than any kid I know. Nothing I force. Just the way he wants. He loves to be active. And so I made the commitment to get to a point where I was healthy enough to go to the gym and work out with him.
So we went today. 7am. We walked in and went straight to do legs. Then cardio. I think he was happy to be with me. I know I was happy to be with him. And we completed our day one of working out…
So this is off subject in a way, but on Twitter, my timeline is full of the dumbest shit possible. People post burgers with a “smash or pass” comment or someone who asks the same question over and over again. but about a month ago, there was a tweet on my timeline from some Bitcoin dude that had a verification and around 19 followers. And the quote was something to the effect of “In 20 years, the only people who will remember how much you worked and stayed late at work are your kids.”
Do not know why this hit me so much. But my life has been such a whirlwind over the last few years. When my kids were babies I never spent time with them. I worked 80 hours a week in restaurants. And then when my son was starting in little league, I could maybe go to one game a month. And I never saw my daughter in gymnastics. And then when I worked in cars, I was not there to tuck my kids in. I was not there for dinner. And the money was good, but not worth it.
So I think about that quote when I pursue writing. When I annoyingly ask you to consider my art. When I put a Ko-Fi donation tip whatever link at the end of every post. I think about giving to my audience in a way I have not so I can do the things with my kids I did not. I do not want to be known as a guy who worked late. I already know a dad like that. I do not want to be a dad who sacrifices important things because a deadline is needed. I just do not. That is not me being selfish. It is wanting to be there for my kids. not everyone can, I absolutely get it. But I strive to. I truly do. AND I WILL MAKE THIS WORK. So yes I am extra with posting boxes of sports cards for twenty bucks or discounting original art or asking you to buy a sharpie or whatever the fuck Ko-Fi calls it. But I will keep doing it. I will keep writing. I will keep making art. And I will eventually be able to do what I need to do to make both sides work.
I am writing this here because I am in a bad mood today. very bad actually. And sometimes I need to remind myself why I do what I do. And yeah I am extra and annoying and deal with some horrible people online (more good people though), but it is worth it.
So what I did today made everything worth it. I am getting healthy. I am working my butt off to provide content. I am truly trying to get people art and cards and everything. But I am doing it for a reason…
So my kids remember I was there for them in 20 years.
And I will do everything possible to make sure I am there for his day 2.
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