I was sitting here wondering what kind of parent I might make when I came across this great little Associated Press blurb on the Shiite holiday of Ashoura Day. For those of you who dont remember my post last year at this time, thats the holiday where Shiite men slice their heads open and beat themselves with chains in commemoration of the killing of the prophet Mohammeds grandson, Al. Well, when I saw the photo accompanying the story, I felt suddenly relieved. It was as if a giant weight was lifted off of my back. Suddenly, I thought to myself, the fatherhood bar has been lowered to a manageable height.
The photo, you see, shows a Shiite man lovingly slicing into his sons tender scalp, sending torrents of blood streaming down across his face.
I think Im going to print this out and put it on my refrigerator as a reminder that Im really not that bad of a father, despite what I might think.
I was worried that my kid might think that I was a prick if I limited the TV watching to an hour a day. Now, Im not so worried.
Kid: This sucks. All the other kids fathers let them watch Fear Factor.
Me: Well, there are lots of things that other fathers do. In fact, I think Ive got a photo around here somewhere. Yes, here it is.
