What a contrast.

I was watching one of the daytime talk shows on KTLA out of Los Angeles and what a contrast in fathers. The first was a man named Robert who is the type of guy that most good divorced fathers cringe at. His daughter was 8 months old and he acknowledged that he was the father but he would not see the child and he had made arrangements to get Loshonda, the mother, only $100 in the eight months. He is the type of guy that coins the phrase "deadbeat dad". He is the type of guy that has made it difficult for the rest of the fathers out there. He claimed that Loshonda would not allow him to see his child and that he couldn't get her any money so the host offered to be the middleman even knowing that it was never Robert's intention to send anything. I was so angry at him because the consequences of his actions don't affect him it affects the rest of the fathers who are trying to do the right thing.

On the other hand there was Mike who was a career soldier and had come back from his third tour in Iraq to find that his wife was cheating on him. To the extent that he walked in on her and her lover having sex on the living room couch. The last time his wife, Crystal, met him at the airport she announced she was leaving him. She had taken all the money and asked her daughter who she wanted to live with and the little girl said she wanted to live with her father so she Crystal left. Mike was trying to get divorce papers signed and get custody of his daughter. His reasoning was simple, he was returning to Iraq for a fourth tour and he wanted to control who the little girl was with in his absence. It seems that Crystal had been neglecting the little girl during his last tour and Mike was worried for her welfare. When the host pressed Crystal why she left the girl behind her excuse was that the little girl had been a daddy's girl from birth so she just left. Amazing. Try that story if you are a dad going through divorce. I hear your rights going down the drain.

Two men so different. I wish for extinction of the first and for the expansion of the second. We need more Mikes to be visible so people know there are good guys who love their families and especially their children.

Bless you all and have a good night!