"Goku, My Dad."

The day before Father's Day of 2023, I shared with Instagram a few relevant and important pages from my journal; pages that untangle one of my most prominent and unshakeable incentives to stand the test of time. It just so happens that a certain animated series happened to make me pick up the pen that day.

On July 10th, 2018, I write:

Recently I watched an episode of Dragon Ball Z [in which] Gohan has to depart from his father in order to let him fight. Upon his leave, he mutters words of admiration: "Goku, the Super Saiyan, my dad" and "I love you, dad." The whole scene moved me. His admiration and fierce loyalty to his father is something I can imagine any man would want.

Not to mention, Goku is more than worthy of that love. Not only is he a powerful man, but a noble and optimistic one. His spirit and heart [are] just as strong as his physical self (if not stronger).

Goku, Gohan, and the bond between them is [yet] another fictional entity that inspires me. I hope to grow stronger and better with every year of my life just as Goku has. I hope to be a man as well-built as Goku, physically and morally, when I am well beyond my youth.

All of these things remind me how important it is to be my best every day that I can; taking care of my body and staying strong held to my values and my desire to excel. I want to be great for a lifetime, so I can be the man [that] my kids love and respect most. Not because they have to, but because I am worth it!

Although I accredit Dragon Ball Z with being the unique symbol of such a strong ideology, it is not what gave birth to the idea itself. As pertains to fatherhood, longevity, and ideas of that ilk, I have journals from well before and well after watching a single episode in my young adulthood. Just a little over a year later, I had more to say about standing the test of time, and the kids still play a part.

On July 17, 2019, I write:

There was a moment at work recently [when] a group of young kids came in, and all of them seemed very much excited to speak to me and be in my company. They approached me, they listened to me, and most importantly, they were able to look me in the eyes. I've never seen myself as a kids' kind of guy, but this was one of many times that younger people have seemed fascinated and enamored [of] me. Affection and attention from kids is not something I look for or even make an effort to receive, but it's definitely not something I take for granted either. Although I'm still a young man myself, I think it's truly a blessing that children [who are] decades [behind] me see good things in me.

Every time I marinate on the subject, I can't help but to recall the number of elder individuals that have gone (and continue to go) out of their way for me as well. Funny enough, the approach isn't so different from the kids' either. I've literally had a swarm of grown men crowding this exact desk, at which the kids did the same. I think it's safe to say that the common denominator in both situations is me. (A young child was just staring at me as I typed this, oddly enough.)

I want to shine light on these encounters simply because I believe they speak volumes about my place in this world. I often say I'm a man of glory, and part of that glory is the adoration of other generations, above and below. I often say, "my peers are giving birth to a generation that I'm going to inspire." To be impressive in the eyes of those who lived long before us as well as those who've lived so little is undoubtedly a quality of a well-rounded man. In this present day, I'd like to celebrate that quality [of me] as well as remind myself to protect it.

In my 23 years, I've come to [learn] that so few people have what it takes to endure the test of time and sustain their greatness through their youth. I don't believe that age is something that has to destroy your appeal (as the common man seems to suggest). What I believe is that those of us on the right path become solidified with age. More importantly, we constantly take steps that influence our juniors, our elders, and our peers. I want to make it my duty to protect my mind, body, and spirit with every year that passes, so that the value I bear in this present moment will flourish and not diminish.

I'm thankful to say that in my early twenties, I looked ahead; ahead into a future where I was just as great if not greater than what I already believed myself to be. I was and still am humble enough to know the work required for longevity. More importantly, I know that such longevity is key in making the greatest impact on the young ones we raise and the young generations we're in the lead of. I wouldn't go so far as to say such values were instilled in me by cartoons, but it's a beautiful thing when a childhood show can help recall such profound motives.