The Father in Society

In 2014, I was facing financial difficulties that were threatening my ability to pay rent. A man I knew saw an opportunity and revealed to me that he was a member of the Mafia, and then proceeded to offer me a chance to fix my financial standing by eliminating a man who was threatening his acquaintance. Although this had the potential of solving many immediate and future financial problems, and giving me access to some things that I really needed, I also had to weigh that opportunity against my values. With my values in mind, I turned him down. I told him, “If I am willing to betray my principles for five thousand dollars, then what would I take in return for betraying The Family?” In the end, I may not have been able to gain access to those contacts, or knowledge, or money, but I did gain that man's respect and friendship. That man proved what he valued later when he would not allow me to spend Christmas alone, and was one of very few that showed any concern for my well-being while I was homeless at the time Hurricane Harvey struck Houston.

What would have happened if I had taken that offer? Lord only knows what would have happened in my associations within that particular Family, but I certainly can put a finger on what would have happened in the future generations of my line. My daughter would not have known what I was until the day I became expendable. Then, after the truth would invariably come out, she would question everything that she ever learned from me, instantly losing any purpose and direction, and then raising her own children to become angry, resentful, bitter, and narcissistic – without the slightest idea as to why. This is what is happening to that man's family now. Harvey took his toll on him during the cleanup, and his family has been told what he was in secret. This has been very hard on them, and my heart goes out to them.

It is because of this that I – a father – must keep to my values . . . especially when no one is looking. Because, what I do in the darkness quickly seeks out the light. And so, were that man alive today, there would be nothing for my daughter to find out about her father; but she would have seen the respect that man gave me, and would have known her father to be a man who was respected by many, despite his faults, not because of the superficial purchasing of respect, but because of the substantial adherence to principles and values that determine who he is.