Originally published 11/17/2011 on Momaha.com
In general, I am a fan of birds. Most of them are beautiful and graceful and can fly which, let’s face it, all of us wish we could do.

Cardinals and blue jays are my favorites. They are beautiful and colorful birds that you don’t see very often. When I see one, I usually stop what I’m doing and admire them until they fly away. 

We even have a pet bird. Well, at least the kids have claimed it as our pet. It’s a hawk and his name is Jerry.

He (or she, we haven’t actually checked) enjoys hunting the empty lot near our home for mice and snatching sparrows out of the sky. He loves to perch on the lamppost outside our back windows. Once he devoured his prey on the top of our swing set while our kids watched in fascinated silence.

There are some birds, however, I could do without. Like the barn swallows who dive bomb me while I’m mowing the yard. Or the sparrows who crap all over our deck. 

But there is one bird in particular that I hate and never want my children to see. It’s small and slender and has no feathers. It is most commonly known as “the finger.”

I saw this “bird” on a day that was already on the top 10 bad days of the year. A woman backed up and hit my car in the church parking lot right after I dropped off our two older girls for religious education. No one was hurt which was good, but now I had insurance companies and repair shops to call. This dad was already busy enough!

About an hour later, I returned to church to pick up the girls. On our way home, a guy in a small, red SUV believed I cut him off when I merged into his lane. I was pretty sure there was plenty of room between our vehicles and I didn’t feel like I did something wrong, but the long blare of his horn suggested that he did not agree. “Daddy,” one of the kids said from the back, “why did that guy honk at you?” “He thought I was driving wrong,” I replied. 

At the next light, I moved into the left turn lane and the guy pulled up right beside me. I noticed him out of the corner of my eye but ignored him partly out of embarrassment but mostly out of indifference. What could I do now anyway?

When the light turned green, I noticed his vehicle did not move. I continued to ignore him so he honked his horn to get my attention. Even though I knew what was coming, I couldn’t stop the natural reflex to turn my head in his direction.

And there was that nasty, ugly bird.

Now, I can appreciate someone getting upset for being cut off on the road. It has happened to me before. Heck, it has happened to all of us. But do you really need to flip the bird at somebody in a minivan that is likely full of kids? 

He left that middle finger pointed directly at me for about 5 seconds while he yelled what I presumed was an obscenity-laced tirade about my driving inabilities and then slammed on the accelerator to speed away. Unfortunately for him, it had snowed earlier that day so the road was a bit icy and, for a moment, his vehicle went nowhere.

I reached for the door handle. A person can feel tough encased in 2 tons of metal and get away with acting like a jerk, I thought, but how about face-to-face in front of my children? How tough will he feel when I ask him if it’s worth it to flip me and our kids the bird? And, yes, a small part of me wondered if I would feel better slugging the guy, something I have never done before. 

Before I got the door open, his tires gripped the pavement and he squealed away. The kids, luckily, saw none of this because they were engrossed in a movie on the DVD player in the back. I shook my head, chuckled to myself for the incredibly stupid idea I had to confront the guy, turned left and continued home. 

I’m sure all of us at one time or another has flipped the bird at somebody while driving. Traffic is stressful and some people probably shouldn’t be allowed on the road. But, isn’t there at least a little etiquette? Everybody knows you never flip off an old lady or a guy who looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Its time we add people in minivans to the list.

The hotel room was filled beyond its legal capacity. Sprawled upon the two double beds, chair, night stands, window sill and floor sat twenty or so men. The air was thick with their voices. There was the six foot six, skinny Asian man with a few wisps of hair still clinging to his head, throwing his head back with roaring laughter. There was the short, thin, balding former professor with wire-rimmed glasses shoveling out words of wisdom at a speed nearly breaking the sound barrier. There was the stocky pastor with the red beard smiling quietly and listening intently. There was the Kentuckian with a slight southern drawl and glimmering eyes finishing up a long, winding, hilarious story. There was a guy named Dayv. There were several others and there was me.

You couldn’t tell from the jovial late afternoon conversation that just two months before the economy had tanked, which was soon to be known as “The Great Recession.” There was no indication the event they had originally planned in Sacramento California, in that hotel, was supposed to be attended by dozens of men but had to be cancelled due to the uncertain economy. And yet, some of them came from across the country anyway. They crammed into one of their hotel rooms and, more or less, conducted the event they had cancelled.

The chatter before they headed to dinner was broken up when the former professor stood up and asked for the voices to quiet down. Some snickered. One hurled a sarcastic insult at him. Others talked in hushed tones. The floor his, momentarily, he asked these men what they were going to do about next year. 

Murmurs. More snickering. A few talked to the guy closest to him. A voice rose above the rest and simply asked, “How about we have it in Omaha?” He was quiet, midwestern, face round, eyes steely. It was in the middle of the country, he explained. Omaha was affordable and it had character. He had a group of guys, me among them, who would help with the planning.

Something sent the Asian into another fit of uproarious laughter. He was listening to another of the Kentuckian’s stories instead of the steely-eyed midwestern. The former professor nodded approvingly at the suggestion of Omaha. The red-bearded pastor considered the idea quietly. Voices rose as they discussed the idea. Some spilled another joke. 

“I think that would work,” somebody spoke up loud enough to be heard above the again growing roar. 

“I’m in!” bellowed the Asian.

And that’s how the Annual At-Home Dads Convention (now know as HomeDadCon) was saved.

Again.

Three years earlier, at the end of the 10th Annual At-Home Dads Convention in Chicago, where it had been held for its first ten years, organizers announced they had decided to not host an 11th convention. Many of the dads, however, did not want to stop having this annual gathering. Andy Ferguson (the former professor), Hogan Hilling (the loud tall Asian), Phil Andrew (the steely-eyed midwestern) and several other dads (my aging brain have forgotten their names, plus I wasn’t there) began talking about how they could continue this event. They knew these annual gatherings had changed their lives and wanted to continue offering other at-home dads that same life-changing opportunity. Andy, like Phil would three years later, stepped up and offered to host the convention in Kansas City, where we was then living. It was centrally located, affordable and had a good group of guys to help with planning.

In November 2006, the 11th Annual At-Home Dads Convention kicked off. About half as many dads (50) attended compared to the the previous year in Chicago. It was the first of my now 14 consecutive conventions. The great presenters, break-out sessions, food and camaraderie was there. The life-changing experience was still there. A new era of the event was born.

The 12th Convention in 2007 was held the next year in Kansas City. In 2008 it moved to Sacramento. And then it was cancelled.

For the second time in its history, the Convention was revived. 

The following two Conventions were held in Omaha, each with about 50 dads. The Convention in 2011 moved to Washington DC. Another snag developed. 

The leader organizing that Convention clashed with the Board of Directors of the recently formed National At-Home Dad Network. By late spring of 2011, he was no longer involved with the Convention. I had recently been elected President of the Board and with about four months before the Convention, we began furiously putting the pieces together to make the Convention happen. Robb Tavill, one of the key planners of the Conventions in Omaha, Hogan Hilling and Kevin Folk from the DC area were instrumental in leading the team from across the country to put on the largest convention since 2005.

From then, the Convention has grown steadily. By my last year as President in 2015, nearly 150 dads attended. Through today, the Convention has persevered and is now in it’s 24th year. 

The history of this event is like a roller coaster. We had ups. We had downs. We had twists and turns. We screamed in terror. Yet, this event stayed on the tracks. 

Its survival through many difficulties and different leaders, I think, explains the value and necessity of this event for stay-at-home dads. The connections made and the parenting skills shared are life-changing. Dads who felt isolated and knew no one attending the convention, often left after three days with many new friends who hug like true brothers. They leave as better men and fathers and it compels them to want to give back. No matter the challenges, and there have been many, these dads have been committed to do whatever needs to be done to make sure the Convention happens the next year. They recognize the impact it has made on their lives, how critical this event has been to the improvements in their families and they want to share this with as many other dads as possible.

I am very humbled for having the opportunity to be involved in the history of this event, to keeping it going and to have helped so many dads. It is a testament to the character of the men who attend and the brotherhood they have created which is so strong it cannot be broken no matter the difficulty. Hundreds, probably thousands, of dads will be impacted as this event continues for decades to come, an event that has transcended squabbles of ego and logistics, scarcity of money and manpower, to be among one the longest lasting annual conventions in the country. It is by no accident. If you have never attended, I recommend you make plans for next year. If you have attended, I encourage you to return. If you think it cannot possibly be this valuable, I challenge you to find out for yourself. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. 

Experiences that transform people are rare. The Annual At-Home Dads Convention (now know as HomeDadCon) is one of these rare experiences.