Guess I got what I deserved
Kept you waiting there too long, my love
All that time, without a word
Did you really think that I’d forget
And regret
The special love I have for you
My baby blue
All those days became so long
Did you really think I’d do you wrong?
Dixie, when I let you go
Thought you’d realize I would know
I would show
The special love I have for you
My baby blue
What can I do? What can I say?
Except I want you by my side
How can I show you? Show me the way
Don’t you know the times I’ve tried?
Baby Blue – Badfinger
This 1971 classic by band Badfinger is now known to a whole new generation from its use on the series Breaking Bad. It tells the story of a man who waited too long to commit to his girl and as a result, she moved on.
I thought about that a few weeks ago as each of my three kids called or texted to wish me Happy Father’s Day.
I wondered if indeed I was a good father.
You see, my oldest daughter and son were very young when I got out of the Navy. Our youngest was born just two days after I started my first civilian job. I was so excited to finally break free and start my new career that my family often took second place in my priority scheme. By the time I started my business in 2005, my attention was fully on that. I was on the road about 35 weeks a year. Yeah, I performed some self-aggrandizing heroics, sometimes taking red eye flights from the west coast back home just in time to race from the airport, sore from sleeping upright and still tired, to one of our kids’ youth soccer or football games. I made sure I posted those on Facebook so everyone could see what a great dad I was. Even though doing that ensured I was a bad dad.
But most of the time, my business was my priority. If I wasn’t constantly checking email, my mind was working overtime trying to develop new models or creative techniques to market or facilitate workshops. When my son wanted to throw the football or my daughter wanted to kick around a soccer ball, I was too tired or busy to do it.
Now that the kids are all grown up and living out of state, I have all the time in the world to think about business. But I’ll never get another chance to spend time with my children as young children and experience what I missed. And every time I get a piece of negative feedback from an audience, I KNOW I had my priorities completely skewed.
So yeah, it’s important to say those important things NOW, not, like the singer of Baby Blue when those special people have moved on.
Something to think about this Summer when hopefully you have some time to breathe and recalibrate for the second half of the year.