My father was a macho Marlboro man kind of guy who lived his life according to a set of absolutes about what it means to be A Man®. Pithy admonitions such as, "Never say 'I don't know.' Real men never admit they don't know how to do something." This sage wisdom usually was delivered during an all-night, whiskey-fueled rant about why my grades were so bad. He'd ask me over and over, "Why did you make a D in Geography?"

My answer was, "Perhaps it has something to do with the fact you are keeping your son up after two in the morning on a school night badgering him about his grades while you yourself dropped out of the eighth grade and need assistance reading the word Geography on my report card. You think maybe THAT has something to do with the fact I don't know that Somalia is in Africa?"

Of course, that answer would have lead straight to a beating and I had had my fill of those already thankyouverymuch. So instead I answered, "I don't know," which lead to a never-ending argument until I could no longer keep my eyes open and the next day waking up with a pool of drool on my desk at the end of Geography class.

It's easy to make light of it now. It was a lifetime ago. And it's easy to laugh at the ridiculousness my father's circular non-logic.

My favorite was, "Never say you are sorry. It's a sign of weakness." I'd ask why and he'd say that a real man should be confident and have conviction in what he's saying is right.

"But what if you are wrong? You can't be right about everything."

This was inconsequential. It didn't matter if you were actually wrong. Just never admit you are.

In many ways, my father was a precursor to Homer Simpson.

Homer: Boy, if there's one thing you should know, it's this. There's the right way, the wrong way, and the Max Power way!
Bart: Uh Dad, isn't that the wrong way?
Homer: Yeah son, but FASTER!

I knew this was complete bullshit. Apologizing isn't a sign of weakness. Not admitting you are wrong about anything is just pure arrogance, which I suppose was part of my father's definition about being a "real man."

Luckily, I've never had a problem saying I'm sorry for something. However, sometimes I'm not always aware that I am wrong about something, which, according to his backwards ass principles, would probably make my father proud.

So when someone takes the time to say, "Hey. You are being a dickhead and are hurting my feelings," it makes me pause because I'm not always aware of when I'm being an dickhead. (Although I am KEENLY aware when I'm being an asshole. I have that down to a science.)

It's pretty humbling to be called out on your shit. For someone to do that, it takes great courage.

Admitting you are wrong takes courage too. Even if it's just two simple words.

I'm sorry.

That's what real men do.