Men, Skirts, and Family

As a GenXer,  I wake in gratitude every day next to a gorgeous 46-year-old “Hot Mama” in a house with two most incredible teenage boys. We’ve fought 13 years of our lives to obtain what most people can’t fathom – True happiness.

Every decision we’ve made from homeschooling to the way we modeled our business has been with the goal of hacking life our own way. We own a house built with our own hands, produce our own power, purify our own water supply, heat our house using mother natures’ offerings, produce over 40 natural body care products – from scratch and ship them throughout all of Canada and the US, published a book, oh yeah, and we’re debt free. 

I’m also a guy that wears a skirt. I’m not hung up on clothing options as being specific to gender. F— that! After years of looking at T-shirts, ugly sweaters, and stiff button ups, I’ve come to realize that fashion found in the “Women’s section” is way more appealing, diverse, and comfortable. My wife and I share everything when it comes to clothes and wouldn’t have it any other way. It brings fun, intimacy and helps strengthen the bond of our love. We are each other’s best friends and each other’s strongest advocates. This is our norm. This is real life.

13 years ago we left our make-believe life of a 9-5 job in a city. Struggling to make ends meet and fighting the craziness of hospital care, public school, and the two-week vacation syndrome. I remember when our oldest son failed kindergarten. Why? Because he averaged only 9 days a month in attendance. The rest of the time he was in a hospital or home ill. Normal for me back then was sleeping at the hospital, waking up at 6 am, tagging with my wife and heading back into work for the day. Normal was begging for vacation time, Normal was wondering how to juggle $2500 a month of bills – mostly servicing debt.

In a way, I kinda feel like we’re now living in a Matrix film. We have our own way of doing life in the midst of everyone else’s hustle and bustle. I never thought that we were that different until last week when I had the pleasure of visiting my mom. She informed me of a new company opening up in our locale that I could possibly get a job at.

“Why would I want that?”, I asked her, “I have a job – I like what I do.”

“No, a real job – one that makes money”, she continued.

It was a comment that ran the train off the rails for a few days. I finally had to come to terms with that conversation. I realize that we ARE different…and different IS good. I’m not interested in living someone else’s Orwellian drudgery so they can live vicariously through my life. Every one of us has the opportunity to carve out an incredible existence in history. I want mine to make a permanent mark written in historical books – or at least in the hearts of those who really know me. At 45, I know who I am and what’s important in my life. I’m not swayed by closed minded thoughts of others about the way I dress. When the world is crashing from failed economies, I see light and opportunity. There are a million ways to make a buck – I prefer one that allows me to call the shots with my own family in mind.

My challenge for you – Know who you are and what is important in your own life. If you don’t know those two things with absolute clarity – what are you going to do about it?