This is a tale of a father's journey that begins at the tender age of thirty-one. At the less-than-tender age of sixty-eight is attempting to author a book. An AI option to edit my effort was not used, resulting in a rather down-to-earth script, to say the least. Growing up without a father figure is usually a curse for the average male. Personally, I was blessed with an incredibly special mom and to have grown up in a special era, and I am thankful to a very special Lord. Life's journey as a parent will never be easy. The speed bumps encountered along the way will likely be memorable. Some memories can be erased, while others can ferment and fester forever. Becoming a father can be easy(fun)...lol. Staying a dad, not so much! There is a difference between the two. I like to regard myself, to this day, as being more of a dad. A dad's love can make his child's growing pains his own. This book is meant to enlighten and inspire future and present dads not to make some of the life mistakes that I've made. I think life mistakes fall into two categories. One that you might not ever be able to recover from, be it physical, mental, or financial, and the other is just having too much fun, be it physical, mental, or financial! Personally, I had a lot of fun making my life mistakes. Smart on my part was not to make the same big mistakes twice. That made it easier to pay for them, move through life with my head above water, and savor the fun memories(lol)! At this age, my life's journey is headed toward a dead end (no pun intended)! May the content of this book bless you with some fatherly insight to lessen the impact of the speed bumps along the way.