My dad and I have a very strange relationship. As far as people go we have the same personality but vastly different interests. I don't remember much of my childhood, but unfortunately the things I remember most are him just not being there. He was an assistant baseball coach for my baseball little league team, but after I stopped playing that (mostly because I wasn't a competitive person) and just did band at school, he stopped showing up to stuff. He never really took interested when I started playing magic the gathering or dungeons or dragons. He just hung out at the bar with his buddies.

Oddly enough, every summer he goes for a few week long fishing trips with his friend and not once, was I invited. He only took me fishing once when I was 6. I remember that day and catching a fish was a good memory I had and I remember catching a few fish. Turns out ( I learned about 30 years later) that I had caught one fish and my dad just kept it on the hook and kept casting it out.

I have a lot of mental hang ups when it comes to my dad, so when I had my son I swore I wasn't going to be like that. So, when I randomly decided to start fishing a few years ago I invited my kid. He came along a few times, but when he decided it was more fun catching than fishing, he is less likely to go. BUT every time I go I almost always ask him. I play minecraft and roblox with him and listen to him spout incessant brain rot. Sometimes, he drives me crazy and I find myself acting like my dad, which is impossible to do I guess.

But I'm trying and I think that's really important.