NEXT!!!
Submitted by: Doug Warburton

NEXT!!

He walked into the office of Department of Health and Human Services. As he walked into the waiting room, people stared at him.

Well really it was all the women that stared, there were not any men in the room. He felt a little hot, like someone had turned up the heat. Eyes watching his every move. What was HE doing here? Why did everyone stare at him? He didn't know yet, but he was not welcome here.

This was for mothers of DEAD BEAT DADS whose children suffered because the fathers had abandoned the children and the family. These mothers were here because they needed support to help the children that their fathers left!

As he walked to the desk, the clerk looked at him. "Can I help you?" she asked with a kind of "what do YOU want?" attitude and gaze.

"I would like to fill out paper work for Day Care Assistance please."

"Do YOU have an appointment?" She asked.

"No I don't, I didn't realize I needed to make one." He said.

"You don't" she said sharply. "Take the clip board and go into that room and fill it out, when you are done, bring it back."

"Ah, okay thank you." He said. He then went to the room she had indicated and proceeded to sit at one of the tables to fill out the paper work. As he was filling it out, he looked around the room.

DEAD BEAT DADS...DEAD BEAT DADS...DEAD BEAT DADS...DEAD BEAT DADS...DEAD BEAT DADS...DEAD BEAT DADS...

It never ended. Every where he looked, it was literature about how dads left the family and were "basically" worthless. The father was useless and totally responsible for these mothers being in this office and asking the state to help them raise their children.

His blood boiled! Not only did he feel disgraced by this banter, but the single fact that only fathers left children and families and left the mother to raise them and pay all the bills...

Is this true? No.

His wife abandoned him and their family.

He had a good job now, but it really just didn't pay enough to help offset the cost of day care. $1350.00 a month for day care alone! With all the bills and food and car and cloths, he needed some kind of help. He had no idea where to start, but a friend told him about Day Care Assistance. "You should go and do it." She said. He decided that would be the place to start.

His pride almost stopped him, but his check book told him he needed to do this, so he did. Now he gets to stand in front of people and get berated, like he is less than the ones who are all ready here. Truth is, he is less, and after all he is a man. He is one of those on the wall, a dead beat dad.

But wait...how can he be a dead beat dad? He is here! He is trying to raise two little girls and be their provider, their protector, their dad! He wasn't the one to walk out! He loves his children and now is the one who solely provides for them.

He wakes them in the morning and gets breakfast. He gets them dressed and ready for school. He makes lunches and snacks and dinner. He is the only one who does the laundry, changes the sheets on the bed and reads night time stories. He is the one to kiss them good night and tuck them in and tell them he loves them.

Daddy is the one who, if someone gets sick in bed, gets to clean everything and everyone up.

He is the Father and He is the one who is taking care of His children. He is the one who takes them to the doctor or dentist or Hair Salon and tells them everything is okay. Don't worry, daddy is here! He is the one who is here!!

The reward? Everything! They know he is there for them and they will never forget that!
Back to the desk...

After filling out the paper work, he walks back to the desk and the "nice" clerk sitting there. She looks up at him and tells him to take a seat and his "case worker" will be with him in a while.

"No problem and thank you." he says. And then he decides to add a little hint to her.

"By the way, just so you know..That room is extremely offensive to me and I would bet to any other father that comes in here."

She looks at him, as well as the rest of the room, with the look of astonishment! He has decided that something needs to be said and if no one likes it, well too bad but it needs to be said.

"Not ALL dads are DEAD BEAT DADS, just so you know....There are also some DEAD BEAT MOMS out there as well!"

About a year later, he needed to go back into that same office, and fill out some more paper work. The office had been remodeled a bit and he noticed a bit of a change...

There was no more posters and literature about DEAD BEAT DADS.

Who would have guessed? Maybe someone heard him...

I guess I made impression after all...

Doug