Baby-boomer dads: When was the last time you took out your son for a beer to talk politics and stuff?

 

It was Monday night and a good chance to talk politics and stuff over a Schnickelfritz beer.

 

 

Hey, baby-boomer dads have you ever taken your son out for a craft beer and listen to him talk about contemporary politics , politicians and political thought?  And while you're there you can talk about anything else as long as there's beer in your glass.

My son--Justin and I--did that last night.  The idea was just to get away from the crowd, drink a good beer and share what's happening in our lives.  Politics is a big part of everybody's lives and our son has had more than a decade of experience as a voter and more as a watcher of the political scene.

I wanted to listen.  I wasn't selling a point of view.  I wanted to learn where he was at in current political thought, including candidates.  He's a millennial and commentators and pollsters have tried to explain their point of view.  I wanted to learn more myself.

Given my background as a journalist, I'm a "who, what, when, where, how, why, so what" sort of guy.  My internal wiring allows me to come up with and ask questions easily.

What did I learn from our conversation?  A whole lot.  I'm just as proud of him now as I was when he was born.  He has a point of view and those match up between the two of us most of the time.  

The result:  My kinship with my son is closer than ever, but it's now an evolving level where we both are firmly adults.  We are both husbands, fathers and people who value family.

Would I recommend that other dads do this with their of-age sons?  Definitely.  I can't wait to have a beer with my daughter.

 

 

With craft breweries, drinking beer is more experiential for your palate. My son introduced me to this small beer-maker.